Cattails
by merixthexninja
Summary: Be careful what you wish for. Through the playful help of a strange Spirit, the gaang are transformed into animals! When they are adopted by two familiar Fire Nation-bound travelers, will this lead to victory or defeat for the Avatar?
1. Make a Wish

Full summary: The gaang need a miracle to pull off an attack on the Fire Nation. Yue, seeing their dilemma, kindly requests the help of the Life Spirit. However, Life works in mysterious ways, and the gaang are transformed into animals! When things look bleak, a certain Dragon of the West and his fiery nephew decide to adopt the cuddly strays. Will this strange road lead to victory or defeat for the Avatar?

Cattails

Chapter One

Make a Wish

A/n: Woo-hoo, Day of Black Sun! That was awesome! Here's the first chapter of what is quite possibly the oddest Avatar fanfiction ever written. Hopefully I'll have a new chapter out every weekend. Reviews are always much appreciated! Just so you know, there will be mild shipping, but just a pinch. Thanks so much for reading! End a/n.

The afternoon sun sparkled off the ocean in a panorama of colours. Toph was lying in the grass chewing on a piece of hay. While she rested lazily with one leg over the other, Katara thought she rather resembled Jet. Of course, Katara had resigned not to mention him ever again if she could help it. She was preoccupied with sewing up a pair of bright orange trousers. While slipping the needle in and out of the fabric, the Waterbender asked Aang to tell her again how he managed to create such a hole in the first place.

"Well, I was practicing this one Earthbending move," he told her with a slight blush, "and there was this tree. It snuck up on me. One of the branches must have caught the fabric, and, well…"

"It's okay, Aang. I don't mind stitching them up." Holding up the garment to inspect her seam, she smiled at the almost invisible repair. "I do wish you'd pay more attention to the surroundings, though," she sighed, handing them over to the Avatar. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Aang thought he was going to blush himself to death at that last comment as he took them gladly. "Thanks, Katara." He quickly put them on, now suddenly conscious of being in only his underpants in front of her.

"Ugh, am I the only one concerned about the war around here?" Sokka paced back and forth a few yards away, holding a map up in an attempt to read the ancient lines that were fading from use and age.

"Just relax, Sokka." Katara stood up and stretched. "We're all concerned. But a day of rest wouldn't kill you."

"Oh, it wouldn't?" He rolled the map back up huffily. "Because I'm quite certain it would! Aang doesn't even know Firebending yet and… Oh, god, that damned comet is going to be here sooner than we'll be ready."

"You're standing in my light," complained Toph, and she Earthbended the ground under him three feet to the left.

"You're not helping!"

Aang carefully inspected the feel of his pants, bending this way and that. "Chill, Sokka. It's not like freaking out is going to make a Firebending teacher appear out of thin air."

"Why don't you go and find some dinner," suggested Katara, "And I'll make some soup."

"Hmph." He grabbed his knife indignantly. "Fine. I'll go catch something."

Toph giggled. "That's a good one, Sokka!"

He shot one last glare at the girl before leaving in the direction of the forest. Katara walked over to Aang and grabbed his arm as soon as her brother was out of sight.

"Come on, Aang, let's get some quick Waterbending practice in." Dragging her pupil off excitedly before he could object, she scanned the beach for the ideal location and quickly set to work.

Back on the grass, Toph sighed contentedly. "And I can fit in a quick nap before Sokka comes back empty-handed in a few hours." She smiled and stretched out on the grass, wiggling her toes into the dirt.

An hour and a half later, as Toph predicted, Sokka came back, complaining that there was no game on the island.

"The only living things on this island are the trees and us," he whined as he made his way over to the fire in the center of camp. "And these things," he raised an eyebrow and held up a bundle of blue-green roots with dark green leaves sticking out at the top. "Hey, Katara, are these edible?"

"Well," she mumbled, walking back up from the beach. Her clothes were soaking wet and she wringed out a bundle of hair, leaving a trail of water across the ground. "They don't look too poisonous. Maybe we could try them."

"Hang on!" Aang zoomed up the slope in a whirlwind of Airbending. "Let me get a look!" Putting a finger on his chin thoughtfully, he inspected the strange plants this way and that as Sokka held them up. After a few seconds, he came to a sagely conclusion. "Yep. Those are definitely beetle roots. Extremely poisonous. You can get sick just from touching them."

Sokka made a gagging noise and dropped them in the dirt. "Ack! But _I_ touched them!! Does my face look pale? Am I sweating?"

"Well, you're definitely sweating," answered Katara flatly, shaking her head at her brother's antics.

Sokka scurried out towards the ocean and jumped in, then began fervently scrubbing his skin and clothes with the seawater. Back on shore, Katara lamented that it looked like they'd have to use up more of their supplies for dinner. Then she set to work unloading various things from Appa and filling a pot with water.

After dinner, the four sat around the campfire enjoying the warmth. Sokka reclined against a log and polished his boomerang. After a moment he paused, suddenly noticing the conversation going on around him. After a moment, he stood and announced that he was going to bed.

"Oh," Katara said, looking quite surprised, "Goodnight." 

"'Night, Sokka!" Aang energetically waved goodbye to the older boy. Toph held a hand up silently and waved back and forth once through.

"See you guys in the morning," and he waved back as he strode over towards his sleeping bag. Gazing up into the three-quarter moon, he whispered to the sky, "We're going to need a miracle to win this war, Yue. I just hope everything is a lot better for the Spirit World. Goodnight."

The landscape saturated with dense fog, Yue looked down from her place in the sky at the boy as he snuggled into his bedding and dozed off. Biting her lip in thought, she wondered how exactly she could help them. She could do nothing much herself, but she had heard of a certain spirit that could really help them out.

Yue passed through the fog, which seemed to go on for miles, and towards the end a bamboo forest took over, the fog reduced to a fine mist that condensed on the leaves and branches. Taking a great number of seemingly random turns and twists, she found her way to the end of the forest. The ground suddenly dropped off into steep cliffs, and whatever lied at the bottom couldn't be seen through the darkness. The bamboo grew right up to not an inch from the sharp drop-off. They were, indeed, very courageous plants, as even Yue felt a bit intimidated at the sight.

In front of her lie a narrow bridge of land, and all along the edges grew giant crystals that shone yellow-green. This was the only light along the path, making it feel like more of a runway. Carefully Yue began making her way across. She knew that at the end it led to a mountain that grew up out of the darkness below, and nestled in the side of it was a small cave where the spirit she sought made her home.

After a slow half-hour of cautious steps, Yue arrived outside the cave's entrance. Vines hung down over the front, making a sort of living door. Nestled in between two crystals a few yards away was a bird's nest, and in it the babies chirped for their mother's care. Various sorts of bugs crawled along the ground, and as a centipede approached her foot Yue hastily moved out of the thing's way. Unsurprisingly, the mountain was like a paradise for all sorts of little creatures. Unsurprisingly, that is, if you knew who lived inside.

Approaching the covered entranceway, she called out nervously, "Um, excuse me. Is anyone here?"

A distinctly feminine voice responded to her, "Come in, Yue. Make yourself at home!"

She then parted the vines and walked through, cautious not to step on any sort of critter that might be on the ground. The cavern was lit well with the yellow-green crystals, and had a lovely scent in the air. Cinnamon? As she rounded a corner, the Life Spirit came into view. She was short, only four feet or so, with long black hair that fell like a river to her knees. Her frame was thin, with almost no womanly curves. This was, of course, normal for how old she appeared—a child, four or five years, with an almost permanent smile and wild green eyes.

"Have a seat," she offered, motioning to a small bamboo chair decorated with crystal. When saying the chair was bamboo, it was hard to convey, because of the sheer impossibility of it, that it was living bamboo that had grown in the shape of a chair. Everything alive in the cave got its light from the strange glowing crystals and not the sun. A small stream of water flowed near the wall towards the back of the cave, where it eventually led out across the lands via underground streams.

Yue had heard the rumors of what it looked like in the Life Spirit's home, but it was all much stranger than she had been told. Of course, it was also far more beautiful than anyone had described.

Carefully she took a seat, and the girl did the same, sitting on a similar chair that was just a tad thinner and higher. Her feet dangled down and she gently swung them back and forth in alternation.

"What brings you to my home today?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Well," she began, unsure of how her request would be taken, "I'd like to ask a favor of you. I'm sure you have heard that the Avatar has returned." The girl nodded, and her black hair splashed up and down in step. "When I was a mortal, I was very close to him and his friends. It seems that they need some assistance to defeat the Fire Lord."

"Hmm," she seemed to be thinking deeply about what Yue had said. "Well, where are they now? Have they yet reached the Fire Nation shores?"

She shook her head. "They haven't."

"Let's start there, then. Now, how shall we assist them in? And of course, it must be discreet. Having their identities revealed wouldn't be a good thing." She held a finger on her lip and stared up at the crystalline ceiling for a moment. Just as Yue had adjusted to the silence, she exclaimed, "I've got just the thing!"

Yue sat up straight, on the edge of her seat. "Tell me, what do you have in mind?"

The little girl winked and wagged her finger playfully. "It's a secret!"

Realizing she couldn't argue, Yue resigned to nodding in agreement. "Thank you, Life Spirit." She smiled and stood up, then bowed to her. She whispered solemnly, "I hope your plan works," before turning to leave.

On the floor, a small red beetle crawled around Yue, and then darted towards the young girl who was still seated. Pausing at the foot of the chair, it spread its wings and took flight, gracefully landing on her out held finger. Tucking its wings back in, it turned around towards the exit as if it were watching their guest depart.

"Teehee, of course it will work, silly." She smiled mischievously and turned her attention to the bug, throwing it up in the air and watching as it flew away.

End Chapter One


	2. Is That a Tail?

Cattails

Chapter Two

Is That a… Tail?!

A/n. Glad I have you curious, BlackBlur87. Thanks for being my first review for this story! This chapter is kind of long in my opinion, but I hope I did a good job with everything. It took forever to type. Pweeeease review? I luff joo. End a/n.

Morning at the campsite came earlier than usual. At first light, the rising sun reflected off the ocean, intensifying to the point that it was bright enough to awaken the small group camping on the grass shores. Sokka was the first up, and lazily he stretched in his sleeping bag and rolled out of it. Barely awake, he stumbled over behind a leafy bush a short walk from camp. A brief moment of silence passed, then something unexpected happened.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!"

In that moment everyone else was up and alert, eyes wide at the scream. It echoed off the trees, and a flock of birds scattered into the atmosphere, squawking noisily and fleeing as fast they could. In a minute their calls faded. After a second or two of silence, they built up the nerve to move, and looked at each other for the first time. Instantly, another round of screams ensued.

Aang, Katara and Toph sighed simultaneously.

"Oh, it's just two cats," said Toph in relief. "I thought it was an enemy sneaking up on us or some wild animals for a moment."

Katara stared wide-eyed at the girl. "Did… Did that cat just talk?"

"Aahh!!" Aang screamed, "Both the cats talk!"

Toph didn't know whether her ears or Earthbending were malfunctioning and gaped stupidly for a moment. "Huh? These blankets must be messing up my senses… Did I just confuse Aang and Katara for cats?"

Aang was flipping out at the moment. "The cats… The cats talked!" He was now running around in frantic circles. "Cats can't talk! Cats can't talk!!"

Katara thought she must be delusional from early-morning sleepiness. "This can't be real. This isn't real. I… I must be dreaming still," she mumbled, every muscle in her body tense.

Sokka screamed again from behind the bush. "I have fur! I have claws! I have a tail!!" He tried to run back towards camp, but fell over from trying to run on two legs. Awkwardly he stumbled into camp, shouting, "Katara! Aang! Toph! I have a tail! I have a tail!!"

"S-Sokka?" Katara muttered in disbelief. "You're… A… You're a cat!"

"Aah! _You're_ a cat!"

Toph jumped up. "We're all cats!"

"What in the hell?"

"But that's not possible," Katara rationalized, "How can humans be turned into animals overnight?"

"This island must be cursed!" Sokka exclaimed conclusively. "Aang, I told you not to stop here."

"How is this my fault?" Aang shouted back.

Momo trilled, awoken by the frantic shouts. Appa grunted as the lemur flew away from him, leaving behind a cold spot from the lack of body heat. He made a few laps around the campsite and landed next to Toph.

"Wait," she yelled over the chaos. The other three stopped freaking out and looked at her. "Momo isn't a cat. He's still normal. Appa, too. That means the island isn't cursed."

"You have a point," replied Katara, "But then why are we… What could have caused this?"

"And what's up with Aang?" Toph gestured to the boy who sat perfectly still. She could feel that his heart rate was down below normal and his breathing had slowed.

The others looked over at him. Even as a cat, he still had his arrow, which was more of a light spot on his fur. Before it had been a cream colour, but now it glowed blue.

"He must be in the Spirit World," Sokka answered. "Maybe he is going to ask the spirits what is going on."

"I hope he hurries up," Toph complained while scratching behind her head with her foot, "This is just too weird."

"The flexibility is nice though," said Sokka, optimistic for once. He stretched this way and that, testing his limits. Katara shook her head and hoped Aang would have some luck finding out what had happened.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Aang awoke from his meditation in a familiar foggy bamboo forest. Walking around aimlessly, he soon came across someone that had a man's head and torso but a snail's body.

"Excuse me, Mister Snail-Man!" The boy ran up to him. At first the creature looked insulted, but his anger let up when he saw Aang bow to him.

"Hmm…" he said, slowly and with a lot of vibration in his voice, "What brings the Avatar here to speak with me?"

"My friends and I were staying on an island for the night, and when we woke up, we were all cats! Do you know what did this?"

"You do not look like a cat."

"I know. I guess I'm always human in the Spirit World, no matter what went on in the mortal world."

"Okay. It isn't a 'what' you seek. It is a 'who.' This sounds like the work of the life spirit. She's so funny, isn't she?" Aang didn't seem amused. The snail-man sighed and shook his head at the boy's lack of humor. "Hanto! Kuro!"

"Yeah, dad?" Two smaller boy-snails emerged slowly from the forest.

"Lead this kid to the Life Spirit's home, please. I'll be at your Aunt's house."

"Sure thing. Follow me, Mister," exclaimed the red-shelled snail-boy.

"No," said the white-shelled one, "Follow me. That doofus gets lost on his way there."

The two set off at a mind-numbingly slow pace, leapfrogging back and forth for the lead. Aang followed, making a mental note to ask a rabbit spirit or an owl spirit next time.

A long, long while later the two led Aang to the edge of the forest. Everything dropped off suddenly. A giant mountain rose from the bottom of the cavern, connected to land by one sliver of a pathway. "This is as far as I can take you," said the white-shelled snail boy whose name was Kuro, according to the argument and conversation Aang had overheard.

The other snail, Hanto, was quick to dismiss this. "I was the one in the lead almost the whole time, not you!"

The two went into another slow-paced argument before Aang intervened. "Um, guys? What now?"

"Well, that's obvious," Hanto said flatly. "The Life Spirit lives in a cave in the mountain over there."

"See you later, Mister! Hey, Hanto, last one home is a salted slug!"

"You're on!" The two turned around and slowly but surely raced back the way they came, leaving Aang alone in the foreign land. He looked over the long path ahead of him, sighed, and took the first step of his journey.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara sat in the grass, toying with her tail (which was boastfully fluffier than any of the others' tails). Beside her, Aang's body still glowed, and every once in a while Katara would look over to see if he was still breathing and all.

Sokka and Toph had taken a liking to the stealth and reflexes of their new bodies. The two were locked in fierce competition to see who could catch the grasshopper first. Sokka was still pondering what he should make the girl do when _he_ won, but all of a sudden his thoughts shifted to something far more interesting. He shot up from his crouched position in some tall grass and darted back towards camp. Toph yelled at him for scaring off her prey. He replied simply, "The bet is on hold for now!"

Katara looked up from playing with her tail as Sokka rushed over to her excitedly. Confused, she asked him, "What's wrong, Sokka? I thought you were," she wallowed hard, disgusted at the thought, "_hunting grasshoppers_ with Toph."

"I was," he explained hastily," but I just figured something out. Bring Aang back from the Spirit World!"

"What?" She was utterly confused. "Figured what out? And how do you expect me to bring him back?"

"These bodies are our tickets into the Fire Nation. They're the perfect disguise; no one will suspect a thing!"

"It won't seem strange that four stray cats had come waltzing into the Fire Nation, unaccompanied and riding atop a four and a half ton flying bison with a lemur in tow?"

He gave her that look he had reserved just for her, at times like these, then tried to explain himself. "No. Well, Appa and Momo might be conspicuous. They scream Air Nomad. But the four of us could go alone."

"How are we going to cross an ocean, without Appa or any sort of boat, in these bodies?" She sighed. Her brother never thought these things through.

"I'll think of something. After all," he boasted with a look of pride on his face, "I am a genius."

"At what?"

"At, at—" his stuttered response was cut short when a mostly dead grasshopper landed on his head.

"Haha," Toph laughed haughtily, "I win!"

Sokka sighed. He would just have to wait for Aang to come back and convince him that it was a good plan.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Aang's soft footsteps echoed off the faraway cliffs as he neared the end of the skinny bridge. The mountain still towered upwards until it vanished into the sky. A few yards in front of him was the entrance to the Life Spirit's domicile, covered with thick green vines. Noticing various insects crawling on the ground, he hopscotched over the obstacle course and parted the vines.

"Anyone home?!

No one answered, and he entered nervously. Slowly he walked down, looking around for some creature that looked like a "Life Spirit."

He took a step forward and paused. Unknown to him, a pair of eyes watched him from a foot behind and three feet above, hanging down from the ceiling. Biding her time until l the boy was off guard, she acted in one swift motion.

"Boo!" yelled the girl as she jumped the eight feet down to the floor. Aang jumped about the same height, eyes wide and mouth agape. He yelled out in surprise and spun around with neck-cracking speed.

"Who, what, where?!" The boy was gasping for breath and hand fallen back to a defensive Airbending stance. However, his face dropped along with his stance as the little girl in front of him giggled at the comical reaction he put on.

"Teehee," she laughed, holding her side, "I got you, Aang!"

He blushed and took to rubbing his arm bashfully. "How'd you know my name?"

"You're the Avatar, are you no?" Her tone was suddenly serious. "Follow me." She then began to stride down the passage rather confidently. Aang shrugged and followed her.

When they reached a wider room with a high ceiling, Aang whistled in admiration of the crystal ornamentation. "Nice cave you have here."

The girl smiled at the sweet comment. "Thank you." She sat down and motioned for him to do the same. Aang continued to look around at everything the strange abode had to offer—from the trickling stream of water to the various bugs crawling around—and the boy appeared quite excited to do so, gasping in awe at each new wonder.

"So what brings you here?" She asked him, giving loving affection to a beetle that suddenly landed on her arm.

What a weird girl, thought Aang, she actually likes bugs? "Um," he said, unsure of his phrasing, "My friends and I were staying the night on this island, and when we woke up, we were all cats. Not to accuse you or anything, but I heard from a snail that it might have been you."

She held a hand over her mouth and giggled. "A snail, you say? Well, I don't know what a snail would know of it, but yes, it was I."

He smiled and exclaimed, "Great! Then you can change us back, right?"

"Why would I do something so silly?" She shook her head and smiled. "Yue was the one who asked me, and she will be the one to tell me when to change you back."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "_Yue_ asked you to change us into cats?"

"Well, yes and no. She wasn't so specific as to say how, she merely requested I help you into the Fire Nation."

He was completely lost now. "How does being cats help us get into the Fire Nation?"

The girl closed her eyes and smiled. "Prepare yourselves for travel and wait until this evening. Then you shall find out."

Confused but convinced, he gave an okay and stood to bow. "Thank you," he said as sincere as he could.

"It was nice to meet you, Mister Avatar." She smiled and waved goodbye as he turned to leave.

Well, he thought, at least Sokka will be happy to hear this.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara relaxed lazily in a soft and sunny patch of grass. Her fur just absorbed all the heat and radiated it. Warm and purring, she now understood why cats take sunbaths. Her brother was watching Aang now, kept awake only by his curiosity. Toph and Momo, now on eye level with each other, were locked in a playful game of cat and mouse. Who exactly was the cat and who the mouse, however, was undecided.

Sokka was sating off into the distance and hadn't noticed Aang's arrows had stopped glowing. The boy blinked as if waking up, then exclaimed, "Hey, guys!"

The older boy jumped about ten feet. Katara cracked open her eyes, smiled, and pranced over to him, still nice and warm from the sun. She might even miss having fur. Toph and Momo, who were at that moment rolling around on the ground like they were wrestling, released each other and raced over. "Twinkle toes, where've you been? It's been hours!"

"Haha, sorry," he replied sheepishly. "You see, there was this snail, and—"

"Never mind that," Sokka interrupted. "Did you find out why we're cats?"

He nodded, "Yeah, the Life Spirit turned us into cats so we can sneak into the Fire Nation."

"Haha!" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly. Pushing his sister in her side gently, he declared, "Told you so."

"Huh?" Aang was lost.

"I told Katara here that we could do just that—sneak into the Fire Nation in disguise. She didn't believe me, though."

Katara shook her head, amazed that some spirit could think just like her brother. This was also something, she thought, quite scary for the fate of humanity. "So, we're not going to change back, then?"

"Nope. Oh, she said to get ready for travel, because someone will pick us up this afternoon."

"Who said?"

"The Life Spirit," Aang explained.

Katara looked quite smug at that. "The Life Spirit is a girl, huh?"

"Makes sense," said Sokka, "Girls do have the kids and raise them."

"Shouldn't girls be in charge of everything, then?"

"No," Aang looked shocked, "She was only like, five. I don't think little kids should be in charge."

"You're a little kid," retorted Sokka, "But you're the Avatar."

"Well, yeah."

"Hey," Toph spoke up, "Who exactly is 'picking us up'?"

"Well," Aang rubbed his paw in the grass, "I don't really know."

"Great," Sokka lamented, "We're going to be kidnapped by complete strangers?"

"Yep!" Aang said optimistically, "Better go pack!"

"Ugh," Sokka moaned, "This day gets worse and worse."

"Yeah," agreed Toph, "And it'll get even worse when you lose to me in a grasshopper-catching rematch!"

He smirked confidently. "You're on!"

End Chapter Two


	3. Who Knew Iroh was a Cat Fan?

Cattails

Chapter Three

Who Knew Iroh was a Cat Fan?

"Sing me a sea shanty, Monkey Boy!"

Sokka frowned deeply at the girl's command. Then he frowned at himself for losing to her; he still couldn't believe she snatched that grasshopper out of midair like that and held the squirming thing in her teeth while declaring her victory. Now he had to do whatever she asked for the rest of the day. Apparently, at the moment, she wanted music, a talent Sokka had never been well known for.

He cleared his throat and began. Instantly he hit a sharp and Toph cringed. Kicking him, she shouted, "Sing better!"

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" Toph grinned at his selection of shanty. "Drink and the devil had done for the rest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

"Hey, Iron lungs and his fair maiden," yelled Katara, who, with much difficulty, was trying to close a bag of dried meat securely. "Come here and give us a hand."

Aang and she were trying to pack up all of their things in preparation for the mysterious ship that would be taking them to the Fire Nation. Until they knew who it was, they wanted to keep their identities hidden.

Toph stood and stretched, clawing the earth under her. "Monkey Boy, go help your sister pack!"

"Quit calling me that," he grumbled. Seeing Aang struggle to fold up a sleeping bag, the older boy went over to help. Being a cat sure made chores a lot harder to do, with no thumbs and all."

XOXOXOXOXO

A lone vessel battled against the thrashing waves of the ocean. Every so often the metal of the hull would creak and groan miserably from the years of use. A good number of figures scurried about on deck. One, however, stood motionless at the bow, leaning against the railing daringly.

The young man appeared deep in thought. So much so that, when the ship came to a sudden stop with a sickening scraping sound, he was nearly thrown overboard. Gripping the railing with a strength that was overkill, he stood back up and surveyed the damage the crew had suffered. A crate of rice someone was carrying before was now spilled all over the floor, the very wood of the box smashed open from impact. A barrel of fresh water had shared the same fate. Men were making a fuss over on the star port side; his guess was that a man had fallen overboard. Zuko cringed, wondering the fate of his own room.

A man hurried over to him, out of breath and rather wet. Zuko guessed that he must have been near the water barrel when it had fallen.

"Sir!" His expression was apologetic, with just a touch of fear. The Fire Prince rather disliked that particular expression; it always meant bad news for him. "We've struck a reef. Damage is minimal, but if we don't land soon the crack in the hull could expand from water pressure."

He sighed, "Set coarse for the nearest shore."

"Yes, sir!" Then he was off to relay the message to the navigator.

XOXOXOXOXOX

With all their things packed away, the four finally had time to relax. However, a bit of pre-travel nervousness kept them from enjoying it. Aang and Katara sat together, watching the sea for any ships. Sokka, at the moment, was being forced to sing an encore for Toph.

Appa and Momo were given instructions to fly to Kyoshi Island, where they would be well taken care of. Earlier, Aang had written out a letter to Suki, awkwardly holding a brush in his teeth. The end result was rather sloppy, but legible, and he'd tied it with Katara's help to Appa's saddle. Then the two were off, with Aang's promise to return to their side after the war was over and he was human again.

"Do you guys see a ship yet?" Toph asked, halting Sokka's performance for a moment.

"No, not yet," replied Aang.

"You know," Sokka said, "Maybe the ship is going to land on the other side of the island."

"Are you volunteering to go over and check, then?" Katara smiled. "That's a great idea, Sokka!"

"Sure thing!" He decided a little walk would free him from his master for a while.

"I'll go, too," said Toph, getting up to stretch. Sokka's hopes were dashed, and she gave him a good push to start walking. Sokka hung his head as if he were walking to his own execution. "See you guys in a little bit!"

Katara smiled when they were out of earshot, and told the boy beside her, "Sokka looks like he's having fun."

He grinned. "I didn't know Toph was a fan of pirate songs, or that Sokka even knew any!"

"We should have a music night or something."

He laughed, "Definitely!" The two didn't notice a tiny speck on the horizon that was slowly making its way towards them.

XOXOXOXOXOX

At the tenth swampy patch of land they came upon, Sokka frowned deeply under his mud and slime coating. Looking over at the girl pathetically, he soon realized she had no compassion.

"Into the swamp."

Dragging his tail along the ground as he went, slowly he submerged himself into the muck. Toph backed off a few feet, and came running towards it. She jumped at the last minute and landed a yard away from the boy, splattering muck and filth everywhere. Then they got out, shook off the excess mud, and continued on their way.

To Sokka's delight, the trees finally gave way to beach. Scampering across the sand, he leapt joyfully into the ocean, where the waves cleansed away the mud coating. Now nice and clean, he exited and made way to lie on the warm beach to dry.

"Baby," scoffed Toph, who remained in her mud, wearing it proudly like a badge of honor.

"Well," he asked, preoccupied with scanning the ocean, "I don't see any ships. Do you?"

She kicked him.

"Oh, sorry." He frowned at the muddy paw print on his fur. "Well, I don't. Let's go back and find out if they've got anything yet."

Toph then led the way back into the forest, and Sokka smacked his forehead, realizing his mistake. "Walk along the beach back," he mumbled, "Why didn't I say along the beach?" Mournfully he waved goodbye to his clean fur, preparing for another mud bath.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Upon hearing the rustling of leaves as Sokka and Toph approached, Katara shot up and ran to tell them the news. "Hey! There's a ship!" The girl was quite excited.

"Let me see!" Her brother scampered over to Aang who then pointed a paw at what looked like a dark smudge slowly approaching them.

"I can't tell from here if it's from the Fire Nation or not," he informed Sokka. Then, curiously he sniffed the air and looked over at him, grimacing at the stench. "Oh man, what happened to you?"

He glared at Toph, who was also covered in muck. Katara had taken notice and was backing away from her, trying to reach fresh, non-smelly air to breathe.

"Gee, I wonder," he grumbled.

"Well, go bathe or something."

He snorted and took off towards the ocean. "I was just about to," he shouted over the splashes, "Thank you very much!" Then he gulped in a lungful of air and rather awkwardly dived under the water. Resurfacing, he scrubbed at the mud that clung to his fur.

"Maybe you should go join him," Katara told the other mud-coated member of the group.

Toph grumpily strutted over to join Sokka. "I don't think it smells bad," she argued while distastefully testing the water temperature.

The two then took to bathing, or more accurately, splashing each other with water. Sokka should have had the upper hand here, but Toph ordered him to stand still and say something, and then the match was all hers. While those two were playing, Katara joined Aang, and the two sat and watched the ship slowly come into view.

"It's kind of scary," Katara whispered, "Not knowing what is going to happen to us."

"I'm sure it will be fine," he reassured her. Smiling, the boy told her, "The Life Spirit seemed like a good person. I doubt she would send us on a suicide mission."

There was a moment of peaceful silence, and then she asked nervously, "They don't eat cats in the Fire Nation, do they?"

Aang was rather stumped at this. "Well, a hundred years ago they didn't. But you never know."

She rather didn't like that last part, and nervously she fidgeted with her ear. She relaxed when Aang placed a paw on her shoulder comfortingly. She decided it just might work out all right.

Sokka then came up on shore, shaking off water and giving the two a quick shower.

"Hey!" Katara shouted at him, "Go over there if you're going to do that!"

"No need, I'm done." He thumped down onto the sand next to them, spreading out and soaking up the sunrays.

When Toph came out and shook onto him, he jumped a bit at the sudden coldness and wetness. "Hey!"

"That's karma," Aang justified.

"Yep," agreed Toph as she joined them. "So how close is the ship?"

Aang squinted out at it, holding up a paw to block out the sun. "It's getting closer. It might reach us in about half an hour."

"Can you tell what kind of ship it is yet?"

"Well," said Sokka as he got a good look, "It's pretty shiny, like it's made of metal."

"But metal would mean it's Fire Nation," Katara worried.

"Or a captured Fire Nation ship."

"Oh, I guess it could be."

"In any case, we won't know until it lands, and we've got half an hour, so," suggested Aang, "Let's play tag!"

The other three grinned. "Not it!" They shouted simultaneously, and Aang pouted.

"Oh, well. I guess I'm it, then? Here I come!"

There were giggles and shouts as they all scattered about, running around and tagging each other frantically.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"I can't see up on deck!"

The four were huddled behind a bush and watching through the leaves as a dozen soldiers came out and tugged the ship onto solid ground. Their leader still hadn't revealed himself, but the soldiers were definitely Fire Nation. As the ship reached a stable place on the shoreline, the soldiers moved away as the front came down, allowing free passage to and from the ship. Soldiers then began unloading various tools, and from then on began following the orders of one of the others who had his mask off and wore thick spectacles. They went around to the side of the ship and were then out of sight to the four friends.

"Hey," Aang asked, "Was that one guy the leader?"

"No, I think he must have been a mechanic or something," answered Sokka. "Did you see all those tools? My guess is that they are repairing the ship over there."

Katara was trying to see into the ship, peering this way and that and squinting into the darkness. Unable to make anything out, she sighed miserably. "This is driving me crazy! We have to go get a better look."

Sokka frowned. "What's with this 'we' stuff? I don't want to go in there."

"So," she said, hiding a rather devious smile, "You're going to let your baby sister venture into a Fire Nation ship full of soldiers alone?"

"No. You're not going, either! It's too dangerous, and—"

"Watch me!" She shouted back, already a good yard away. Sokka cursed and followed her, and then Aang and Toph ran after them. Sprinting towards the entrance, they were all thankful for the small and unnoticeable cat forms. Daringly Katara led the way inside, not all too sure which way to go from there.

Sokka was out of breath but had finally caught up to her. "You're crazy, Katara!"

"You're the one that followed me. Besides, we're already inside, so we might as well find out who's in charge."

"Fine, but after that, we're leaving!"

"But we're supposed to go on this ship to the Fire Nation," Aang argued.

"How do you know that the Life Spirit meant _this_ ship?"

"Do you think any other ship is going to land here before nightfall?"

"One could. You never know."

"We're going on this ship, whether you like it or not. Now, come on, I want to know who's in charge, too!"

Katara grinned. "You can't argue with the Avatar. Let's go!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

A large and expansive map of the area was laid out on the table before the young man. With a yellow tinge and burnt edges, it was hardly in mint condition, but the details of the geography were still as clear as ever. The studious boy was trying to follow the tidal charts and plot an efficient course. However, the distant clanging and banging of the repairs did nothing to improve his concentration, nor mood. It came as no surprise to anyone that, when his uncle hollered his name excitedly, his temper was quick to rise.

"Zuko!" shouted Iroh persistently. The old man didn't flinch as the door of his nephew's cabin burst open and the young prince appeared in such a rage that the air sizzled around him.

"What, Uncle?"

He grinned with the knowledge that he could coerce a response from the boy, no matter how busy he might be. "Do you like cats?"

It was hard to tell whether anger or confusion was most prevalent in his current expression. "You had me stop what I was doing and come out here just to ask me that?"

"Yes."

For a moment the old general didn't know if he was going to blow up at him and throw a fit or decide to humor him. A tense moment passed, and then he responded simply and briefly, "I hate cats." It seemed Zuko had made a third option.

Iroh laughed. "You say that about everything. But I hope you'll change your mind about that soon."

"What difference does it make whether or not I like them?"

"I am glad you asked." He reached down and grabbed a sheet that covered a basket at his feet. With one rather profligate motion of extravagance he unveiled the contents. "For you see, we have just adopted four of them!"

Indeed, four furry little cats were clustered together in the basket looking rather pathetic. Zuko took a moment to calm himself, breathing deeply and clenching his fists. "You're not keeping them."

"Come now, Zuko," he pleaded like a child, "Are they not the most handsome creatures you've seen?"

"Take them back to where you found them."

"Nephew, how can you be se cold? The poor creatures need a warm, caring home!" Zuko didn't look moved by this. Trying a different method, the old man bargained, "They're just the cure for our rat problem."

"We don't have a rat problem."

"Oh, but yes we do, Zuko! For you see, just the other day the chef was telling me how a rat had ripped into a bad of rice and spilled fifteen pounds of it all over!"

The boy, wise to the old man's tricks, looked him up and down, and then studied his face for any trace of a lie. After a moment of scrutiny, he sighed, convinced. Against every will of his being, Zuko gave in and conceded, "Fine. Keep them." He turned to return to his task, but as an afterthought, paused in the doorway and rather menacingly threatened, "But if I find any surprises laying around, I'll throw those damned cats overboard!" With this he retired, glad to be back to the maps and charts. At least they were useful, and didn't puke up their own fur.

Iroh grinned and turned to his new pets. Lovingly, he pat their heads and whispered, "I'll have to remember to tell the chef that story later, so he can play along with it." Chuckling, he took the four captives off to show them around their new home.

End Chapter Three

A/n: I love sea shanties, don't you? Yes, Toph is still blind in this form. I tried to convey that in this chapter, but I'm just clearing it up for you. Also, they appear as normal cats, in normal cat size. Their stuff did not shrink with them, sadly, so they loaded it on Appa before he and Momo were sent back to Kyoshi Island. Thanks so much for reviewing, it's a real encouragement for me when I write. End a/n.


	4. Curiosity

Cattails

Chapter Four

Curiosity

A/n: Two weeks late, but chapter four is up. Check out my deviantart (merixthexninja) to see some pretty arts I drew. Anyway, please review! I absolutely love to read them. Thanks for reading! End a/n.

"Of all the rotten, no-good Fire Nation ships we could have gotten dumped on, why _Zuko's?!_" Sokka ranted angrily, cursing his luck and the world in general.

"Well, Iroh seems nice enough," Katara said optimistically, trying to cheer up her brother.

"He's just crazy and probably senile. Spirits, why Zuko?"

Aang stepped up to the plate. "At least we know them, so it's not like we got stuck with a bunch of strangers."

The Water Tribe boy frowned. "I'd rather the strangers."

Toph, who had been listening to the rant with little interest, now jumped up in urgency. "Shush! Someone's coming."

The four quieted up, and a few seconds later the door to their room opened. Carefully, Iroh made his way inside, balancing four small bowls in his arms. He set them down on the floor gently.

"Dinner!"

He looked a bit disappointed when they didn't go running for the food, but an idea came to mind that made him smile. "I know. I should name you first."

The four groaned inwardly as he picked up the first victim. He held Katara up, looking over her long and silky grey fur and blue eyes. "You shall be Chih."

Katara nearly gagged at his selection, and the others snickered a bit.

Next up was Sokka, who looked for a moment like he was going to bite Iroh when he picked him up. His fur was also grey, perhaps just a bit shorter. His eyes were more slanted than Katara's, and he had a white spot leading from his nose to forehead.

"Hmm," he thought deeply, "Anzu." Now Katara snickered at him as Iroh put her grumpy brother down.

Next was Toph. He noted appreciatively that she had short calico fur, but noticing her eyes curiously, he held a finger in front of them, moving it back and forth seeing if she was really blind. As soon as he concluded that she was, the girl gave his finger a light chomp.

"Er," he said, setting her down and caring for his poor finger, "You'll be Sung-Mei."

The last kitty of the group intrigued the old man with his curious markings. "They're almost like arrows," he noted in wonder. "Maybe you came from the Air Nomads?"

This alerted Aang, and he wondered for a moment if their cover had been blown. All was tense until Iroh started laughing heartily.

"I love to be multi-cultural. I'll call you Aoi."

Smiling, he left, closing the door three-quarters of the way. No doubt that he was off to tell his nephew what their new names were. As soon as he was gone, the teasing began.

Sokka was rolling on the ground, holding his side with one hand while banging the other on the floor. "Chih," he laughed breathlessly, "That sounds like a name a child would give a dog!"

She glared at him, not particularly fond of the name herself. "Shut up, Anzu."

When he looked at Toph, he decided better than to mess with her. "Say it, and you'll be wearing that food he left."

Aang sat hunched over on the floor, depression hanging over his face. "Aoi? That's not even Air Nomad! It sounds like a girl's name."

"Maybe he wasn't sure if you were a girl or a guy," teased Sokka.

"Anzu sounds so Fire Nation," Katara teased him in retaliation. "Maybe you're just better suited to be Fire Nation?"

He frowned at her. "That just means that I'll fit in better, before we off the Fire Lord."

Bored, his sister poked and prodded the curious bowl of food. The dish itself was salmon-coloured, and the Fire Nation emblem was printed around the rim. Inside, though, was what disturbed her.

"Hey, Aang, what is this stuff?"

He went over to his own bowl and made a face at it. "No clue."

Sokka then inspected the lumpy greyish-brown substance. Sniffing it, he concluded, "Either salted fish guts or tuna casserole that's started to go bad."

Katara and Aang grimaced at this. For a moment, he thought his sister was going to be sick. However, tensions were eased as Toph spoke up through a mouthful of food.

"Aw, come on," she said between chewing, "It's not so bad."

Sokka appeared quite interested in the gooey substance, as if it were mechanical blueprints or a map of the current status of an army. "Really? What's it taste like?"

"Well," she said, trying to explain the strange taste, "Have you ever had cauliflower and peaches together?"

He shook his head no, wondering if anyone else but her ever had.

"It tastes like a cross between that and cheap beef."

The other three took a small bite of it to see for themselves. Both Katara and Aang made I'm-going-to-hurl-and-I-bet-that-would-taste-better-that-this-stuff faces. Sokka was more intrigued than disgusted, though, and began to chomp down the slop.

"You know," he said, "I think it's more of a sea prunes and seal gristle taste." Sokka paused, his own bowl empty, and leaned over to his sister. "Are you going to eat that?"

She shook her head now, then watched in muted horror as he munched down hers.

"I call Twinkle Toe's!" Toph exclaimed, and then launched into an attack on his bowl.

A few moments later the bowl was empty and Toph was satiated. She spread out on the floor and relaxed, still savouring the unusual flavour. Yawning, she decided a catnap couldn't hurt, and drifted off to sleep.

Katara and Aang were almost asleep themselves, each curled into a ball. Katara had favoured a spot atop a small side table. Aang was nestled against the side of it. Other than that, the only other item in the small room was a large box of something over in the far corner.

Sokka, however, couldn't rest just yet. Nature was calling, but there was no place to answer it in the room. Seeing the others snoozing peacefully, he decided to depart and find a restroom for himself. Sneaking quietly out the door, he looked both ways down the hall. Seeing nothing either way, he chose left, going with his gut. He passed many doors, most of which were closed. The others held nothing like a restroom. Hopeless, he wandered around for a few minutes before bumping into someone unexpected.

"Oh," Iroh chuckled, " Hello there, Anzu." The old man was carrying a shallow box full of sand, and had a blanket over his arm. "I was just on my way to give these to you four."

Sokka followed him back to their room and watched impatiently as he set the box down in a corner. Then the man spread the blanket out on the floor on the other side of the room. "This will be quite comfortable to sleep on," he said as he knelt down to scratch Sokka behind the ears. The disturbance had awoken the others, and they stood around sleepily, seeing what was going on. "I'll be back later with some water." He then scooped up the empty bowls and left, once again leaving the door open a crack.

Katara was the first to claim territory on the blanket; she curled up and snuggled into it, then concluded that it was heavenly compared to the tabletop. The other three smiled and began to pick out their own spots, but Toph perked up her ears and ordered silence.

"Do you hear that?"

"No; hear what?"

"Exactly. I think they're done fixing the ship."

"That means we'll be leaving dock soon," Sokka said gravely. "Do you think we'll leave tonight or in the morning?"

"No clue. But there's one way to find out!"

Toph ran over to the door with Sokka and Aang following behind her. Katara was a bit sad to leave her comfy spot on the blanket so soon, but got up and joined them as Toph led the way through the halls. She obviously had better gut instincts than Sokka, because they soon made it to a room with several of the men in it. They his behind the doorway and listened as the men talked.

"I heard Iroh had to twist his arm to get us to leave tomorrow morning."

"Cut the kid some slack. He's just anxious about getting there as soon as possible, is all."

"Yeah. Anyone would be anxious to finally return there."

"The crew need a break, though."

"Yeah, and we've got just that now. I hear they're havin' a bonfire tonight."

"Shame there ain't no women on this island, huh?"

The four men in the small room laughed at that, and Sokka whispered, "Looks like they aren't going to tell us anything more."

"That was enough. We're leaving tomorrow."

Aang smiled. "I want to see the bonfire!"

Katara agreed. "Let's go, then. What time is it now?"

"I can't tell inside this ship," Sokka moaned. "Let's go outside. I want to see the bonfire, too!"

"Toph, which way leads out of here?"

The girl thought for a moment, trying to feel an area on the ship where a lot of people were. "I think this way," she said, having already started walking. Aang, Katara, and Sokka followed her, passing a man or two every once in a while. Usually they didn't pay the four any mind, but one man clearly had a phobia of cats.

As soon as he saw them, his eyes widened in fear and he backed away as they got closer and closer. Finally, after he'd bumped into the wall, he turned and ran, yelling that demons had taken over the ship.

"What a whacko," scoffed Toph.

Sokka was laughing hysterically. "A grown man scared of a couple kittens!" He slapped Aang on the back at that. "That's the Fire Nation for you."

"Haha, yeah…" Aang grimaced and rolled his shoulders, wishing Sokka didn't have to be so rough. They rounded the next corner and saw the sunlight pouring inside. A few men stood around the entrance. Supposedly guards, they were more interested in playing a card game than guarding the ship. Who could blame them, though; there wasn't much to guard against. The four strolled out casually, not paying the men any mind.

"Hey, Shii, are those cats?"

"Yeah, but what were they doing on the ship?"

"Those are General Iroh's cats, I heard."

"Should we stop them?"

"I'm not a pet sitter. Damn things want to leave, I say let them."

"As long as they weren't near our quarters. I'm allergic to those little bastards."

The wrong thing to say, his friends grinned evilly. "Maybe we'll have to give them a good scratch behind the ears, then, and let them lay on your bed, Shii."

His face dropped into an expression of absolute horror. "Don't you dare, unless you want me to sneeze on you."

The other two men made a gagging sound. "In that case, I'm not sure if it's worth it."

There was a pit built in the centre of a clearing on the beach. A few logs were set up and they had a big pile of firewood stocked. There was about half an hour of sunlight left, and the sky was beginning to fade from blue to yellow-orange.

"I wonder what they're going to roast?"

Sokka was quick to respond to his sister's question. "Either they brought a pig on that ship, or they're planning to roast one of their own men."

"Sokka…"

"You're right; a man would be too big. Maybe Zuko? He's pretty scrawny, though."

Katara looked, at the same time, disgusted and amused. Toph and Aang outright laughed at it. A sudden outbreak of shouts from the forest made them jump, though.

"What's going on?"

"Maybe they caught something?"

"Impossible," disagreed Sokka, "There's no game on this island."

A little troupe of men emerged, celebrating the victory. They carried a boar, obviously freshly killed. Sokka's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"I knew it," Katara stated bluntly, "And to think, that could have been our dinner last night."

"How'd you miss that, Sokka? It's huge."

"It's a sea-boar, obviously."

The others raised an eyebrow to this. "A what now?"

"Sea boar. It hides in the sea during the day, and comes out onto land just before sunset."

Katara was confused, but definitely was not buying his cover-up bluff. "Right…"

"Sounds like you're just trying to cover your—"

"Hey, Toph, how much do you think they'll give us?" Aang cut in.

"Probably just scraps."

"Anything is better," said Katara, "Than that cat-slop they fed us."

"Aw, it's pretty good once you acquire a taste for it."

"I'd like a lot of things, and out of all to be acquired, a taste for that is at the bottom of the list."

"Stubborn." He licked his lips, "That means I get all of yours, though. It's all good."

The group of soldiers carried the now cleaned-up boar to the fire pit. Four helped set it up in position, white the other man tossed some logs in the ring and lit a fire.

Nudging her brother, Katara whispered, "Let's go over there." She hopped down and led Toph, Aang, and Sokka off to a spot of grass where they wouldn't be overheard. From there they had a good view of the flames as they sparked up. Being Firebenders, the men kept it under perfect control, with the smoke rising straight up instead of into their eyes and mouths. With proper fuel, they soon had the boar set to roast.

Soon Iroh came out, touting a sunghi horn and leading several other men donned in various instruments into song. Zuko could be seen, leaning against the hull of the ship and staring blankly at the bonfire. A few men hauled out mugs and a barrel of drink, and everyone took turns passing the brew around. Ignoring a few cracks from the crew that they should give the cats some booze, and a few spiteful glares from some of the men, Katara looked over to Aang.

Sparkle in her eyes, she asked, "Want to dance?"

He looked a bit surprised. "Here? But what if someone sees?"

"They'll just think we're playing. Come on!" She eagerly grabbed his arm and led him off. While the two were attempting to dance on four legs, Sokka looked over to Toph with the same glimmer in _his_ eyes.

"Hey, Toph…"

"I don't dance," she grumbled, cutting off his request. Sighing, he resigned to tapping his foot to the beat.

Slowly their shadows grew as the night wore on, and no one noticed the two small kittens dancing to the beat of the music.

End Chapter Four


	5. Cats Get Seasick?

Cattails

Chapter Five

Cats Get Seasick?

A/n: On time this week. …Barely. Oh, and this author's note I'm slipping in a message to visit my deviantart (same username—merixthexninja.) Comment my pretty arts? Back to the story, now. Please enjoy this chapter! (And a review or two wouldn't hurt. –wink- ) End a/n.

She panted, out of breath and woozy. The ship lurched, and Toph desperately tried to suppress the urge to puke.

"I hate the ocean," she grumbled, emphasizing every word.

Sokka wasn't having too much fun, either. "Whoever is steering this ship needs to slow down. We're going way too fast."

Fire Nation ships, of course, were built for high speeds. They left the shore that morning, and already the island had vanished from sight. Ocean completely surrounded the small steel ship.

Katara sighed; being up on deck was rather boring. The only things to watch were the never-ending ocean or men labouring at some odd task. Finding neither suitable, she soon was struck with an idea.

"Hey, Aang?" She hopped down from atop the crate she was sitting on to be eye-level with her. "Want to go do some exploring?"

The boy smiled at the proposition. "Sure. I want to find out where we're going."

"Oh, no," Toph whined, "You're not leaving me here alone. Sokka stays with me."

"Okay, fine," the Water Tribe boy conceded. "Katara, you'd better tell me where this ship is headed when you get back."

"Deal. Come on, Aang, let's go!"

The two dashed off, hopping down the steps to below deck. The men, by this point, were used to their presence, and no one really bothered them. Iroh had stopped by that morning with water and some kind of breakfast cat-slop, which was slightly more watery, with little crunchy bits. Katara and Aang actually didn't hate this kind. Still, it was far from being liked.

Stealthily, they wandered through the halls and miraculously made their way back to the control room they were at the night before. A tall, thin man sat in a chair, keeping watch on a few instruments and pressing buttons every so often. A map lay on a small counter, but when Aang hopped up to get a look, the man shooed him down. Giving Katara a defeated look, the pair hung out a few minutes, and then left.

Out in the hallway, Aang whispered, "I know someone else who would know. Follow me!" He then ran off down the corridor with the girl following behind. After a few turns, he slowed down and began peeking into each room. On the third, he found what he was looking for and sneaked inside.

The room was just a bit bigger than their own, but contained a closet, a bed with a trunk at the base, and a desk. The walls were decorated with Fire Nation flags, a few caricatures of historic people, and a broadsword display. A young man sat at the desk, looking over a map lazily, and seemed not to notice the disturbance. Aang and Katara entered cautiously, planning to hop up on the bed and try to get a good look at the map from there. Before they could jump up, however, it became clear that they weren't unnoticed.

"Don't go on my bed."

Not wanting to risk encouraging Zuko's wrath, they didn't, and hung back for a moment before nervously going over towards him. Katara looked up at his position for a moment, judging whether or not her plan would work. Deciding to go for it, she hopped up on his lap.

At first he was surprised, but then relaxed and scratched behind her ears before going back to his work. That scratch felt good, but Katara had things to do up there, and so she looked over the map and the line of travel he'd plotted. For a moment she was confused, but after a minute or two or scrutiny she got it.

"My father is letting me return home," he whispered, and Katara couldn't tell from his expression whether he thought it was a good or bad thing. "He says Azula convinced him to let me come back. Said I was the heir to the throne and should be studying war and politics, not chasing the Avatar."

She started to purr now, trying to cheer him up, because from the sound of it he wasn't too thrilled. He managed a small, half-hearted smile, and smoothed out her fur before she hopped down. Aang and she left the room and set again to wandering around to find their way up deck.

"I guess that's good, then, that we really are headed to the Fire Nation."

Katara nodded. "That Life Spirit was right. He's even going to the palace!"

"Practically doing our work for us."

They giggled.

"He seemed kind of…"

"Sad?" Katara nodded.

"I wonder why?"

Aang shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe it's tough being royalty."

Katara laughed. "Tough having everyone waiting on you hand and foot."

"Hey, maybe we'll get some of that. I'm all for the waiting on hand and foot part."

"Maybe we could get some _real_ food."

"Oh, man," Aang moaned, "You're making me hungry."

Katara thought for a moment, a sly look on her face. "I can fix that."

"How?"

"Just follow me, and in no time at all we'll be chowing down."

She ran off, using her sensitive cat nose to lead the way. Aang followed behind, excited at the prospect of edible, and hopefully vegetarian, food. Even though the chef hadn't started dinner yet, Katara could smell the general direction of the kitchen. As small and as stealthy as they were, they still did not go unnoticed. One minute she was chasing her stomach, and the next thing she knew Katara was in the arms of one of the crew, helpless and trapped.

The burly man had taken off most of his armoured uniform, revealing more normal clothing underneath. He took his prisoner into the room, where three other men dressed similarly lounged around, each with a hand of cards.

"Now, Shii," said the man holding Katara in a rather confident voice, "You're going to tell us what you went to school for, or this cat is going right on your bed."

"No! Come on, I'll be up all night sneezing."

"Tell us," he teasingly threatened."

"No!"

The man made a move towards one of the two bunk beds, and the other man jumped up defensively.

"Fine, just get that cat out of here."

He grinned. "Tell us first." The other two men chuckled.

"Fine…"

"Well?" He dangled Katara menacingly.

"I was in school to be a… A nurse."

The other three men burst out laughing. "A nurse? Then how the hell you get to be a soldier?"

"Pretty much opposites, ain't they?"

Shii frowned, hiding his embarrassment. "Now get that demon out of here, before I have a reaction!"

"Haha, fine, fine. You're a good sport, you know that?" He went back out towards the hall and plopped her down. Aang was waiting by, desperate but powerless. Slightly shaken up, they retreated to safety.

Out of earshot, Katara cursed. "Brutes! I thought he was going to drop me!"

"I'm sorry, Katara, I should have bit him or something to make him let you go."

"If I ever see him again I'll bite him myself."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine now." She shook her head, "This whole ship is mad."

After a short, awkward silence Aang suggested, "Let's go tell Sokka and Toph."

"Okay." They started trotting along towards the way they hoped deck was. Katara sighed, hoping that man hadn't left a bruise, being so rough with her. Aang had taken the lead this time, so if anyone was getting kidnapped and used for some awful purpose by drunken sailors, it'd be him. A few turns and they saw sunlight pouring in from the steps that led to deck. Almost joyfully they leapt up the stairs and scampered over to their friends.

Sokka looked up at the sudden noise and grinned as they approached. "So? Find anything out?"

Aang nodded. "They're taking us straight to the Fire Nation palace."

"Awesome. How long do you think it'll take?"

Katara, being the one who actually saw the map, spoke this time. "We're stopping once to get supplies. Probably a week or two altogether."

"Quick," Sokka whistled admirably.

"Good. The faster we're off this ship," grumbled Toph, "The better."

"Still not feeling well?"

"I _hate_ the ocean."

Aang giggled. "It's not that bad. You'll get used to it in a few days."

"Great! And in the meantime, I'll be leaning over this railing, puking up breakfast."

"Maybe you shouldn't eat so much breakfast," reasoned Aang. His suggestion was met by a fierce glare from the girl, and Aang set to looking at the ocean innocently.

"The bad thing," said Katara, "Is that you can't get any more training in, Aang."

"You can't bend?" Sokka asked.

"I don't think so. In this body, I don't feel as strong a connection to water. Even if I did, it'd be impossible to get into the right position."

"That," Toph agreed, "And that we're stuck on a ship full of Firebenders. If they saw a Waterbending cat, they'd fry it."

"Erm," Katara looked uneasy, "That, too."

"I'll be fine," Aang smiled. "It's only a few weeks."

"Unless we die of boredom first."

"Wait," Aang questioned anxiously, "You can _die_ from boredom?"

Toph shrugged. "We'll find out, won't we?"

Katara sighed. "This is going to be a long trip."

XOXOXOXOXOX

He glared up at the enormous red flag emblazoned with that Fire insignia. In the small room, it was the focal point, being the largest and brightest object there. Uncertainly, he lie in bed on his side, facing it, but then rolled over to have his back to the flag. In the end he compromised and lied on his back, neither facing it nor turning away.

He could see it in the corner of his eye, but once he closed them to sleep, he wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

He fingered the edge of his red sheet, folding and unfolding a small portion of it. He thought about the palace and whether it had changed or not. He wondered if that little pond was still home to the turtle ducks. He wondered if his room had been left as it was, or if they'd used it for something else. How many people had walked in and out of those palace doors, or smelled the flowers in the garden, or walked up and down those steps. He wondered if anyone ever lied in bed at night, wondering what it was like to be royalty.

He shook his head, clearing away the thoughts. "I really need to get some sleep."

End Chapter Five


	6. Confessions into Furry Pillows

Cattails

Chapter Six

Confessions into Furry Pillows

The sky and sea were dark as pitch, making them indistinguishable from one another. The few sparkles on the surface of the ocean looked the same as the stars in the sky, although perhaps a bit more fleeting. A small, dark-grey figure shifting on the ocean was almost invisible in the pre-dawn darkness. If you could see it, though, you would have seen an abnormally large wave approach the vessel, looking like a miniature tsunami about to engulf a small city in white water. The little steel ship climbed the wave and thumped back down, rattling its contents. At the moment, this included four kittens who'd just been woken up.

"I'll reiterate," Toph said cheerily, "_I hate the ocean."_

Katara sighed, rubbing the spot where she collided with the metal floor. "I think I'm beginning to hate it, too."

Yawning, Sokka stretched out, trying to get himself fully awake. "I hate whoever is steering this ship. Is it that hard to go _around_ the big wave? Especially at five in the morning."

"Might as well capsize the ship while he's at it."

"Oh," said Toph bitterly, "If we have any luck, that'll happen soon enough."

Aang laughed. "You guys are so negative in the morning."

"Yep," Toph agreed, "Especially when we get off to a _smashing_ start."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Zuko took a deep breath, swallowing his rage at the rude awakening. He rubbed his head where he had banged it against the headboard of his bed. Slowly and calmly, he flipped off the remaining covers and stood up. Quickly, he got dressed, picked up various items in his room that had fallen off shelves (which, thankfully, hadn't broken), and went to go see what the disturbance was about.

Zuko moaned, thinking to himself, "With my luck, it's a _hurricane_."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kanzhi sighed hopelessly; he could practically hear Prince Zuko reprimanding him now. Barely five o'clock, the sun hadn't even breeched the horizon yet. He was half asleep, half blind in the darkness, and worst of all—they were out of coffee. Excuses, though, that the fiery young man commanding him wouldn't stand for. Hearing the sound of coming apocalypse, IE footsteps in the corridor, he held his breath and counted down the time he had left with his head still attached to his body.

Precisely on cue, the Prince flung open the door, and Kanzhi saw with dismay the furious look on his face.

"Come here," he commanded simply.

With shaking legs he stood up and slowly walked over to Zuko, much in the manner of a man walking up to God before the decision is made and he's sent plummeting to hell.

Zuko raised a single finger and shoved it in his face. He flinched, and then looked with confusion at the raised finger. As the younger man moved it back and forth, his gaze followed it obediently.

"So you _aren't _blind, then?"

"No, sir."

"Sure about that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Were you sleeping on the job?"

"No, sir."

"Then why did you feel the need to charge straight into that wave?"

He was silent, unable to answer that in any way he was sure wouldn't get him fired. Or, worse, fired literally. After a moment of holding his breath, he replied simply, "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Zuko left, leaving him to sigh in relief and wipe away the sweat from his brow. Closing the door behind him, the young Prince sighed himself. He didn't know why the crew was so afraid of him. He'd never once physically harmed any of them. Shaking his head, he headed towards deck to get a look at the condition of the sea.

XOXOXOXOXOX

To his dismay, the sea was getting a bit rougher. Still, it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. That giant wave, it seemed, was just an oddity. Up in the sky, the moon was clear and shining brightly.

"Not even a cloud in the sky."

Zuko shrugged; obviously, it wasn't a storm. If it were a decent hour, he'd ask his uncle for reassurance. They say the old can feel a storm coming in their bones. But, knowing his uncle, the old man was still snoozing soundly. He could sleep through a war, and in fact had done so when he was younger and on the battlefield. There was no chance of him being woken up from a bump like that; they could capsize the ship and he'd sleep soundly through it.

Going with his gut, he shrugged the incident off and went back to his room.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Toph sighed miserably, rolling over onto her side, then back on her stomach. No matter what position, she couldn't get back to sleep. "I give up!"

Katara and Aang fidgeted around on the blanket, trying to find a comfortable position themselves. "Same here."

"No matter how I lie, I keep feeling like I'm going to be tossed around again the moment I get comfortable," complained Sokka.

"Let's go for a walk, then," offered Katara, "Since none of us can sleep."

Toph moaned. "I don't feel like walking around. I just want to sleep!"

Sokka nodded. "Me, too."

"Me, three." Aang smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Katara."

"Fine. I'll see you guys later." She slipped out the small crack in the doorway and leisurely made her way down the hall.

Those guys are so lazy, she thought to herself. It's almost time to get up, anyway. We could really use this opportunity to gather information while everyone else is asleep.

A loud thump in the room next to her told the girl otherwise. "Who's awake at this hour?" Curious, she poked her head in the door. In the room, Zuko lie in his bed, awake and restless. On his desk a few maps were strewn around in disarray. He armour lay in a pile towards the opposite wall.

Daringly, she decided to find out _something_ from the man, and she entered his room. Sneaking up beside the bed, she crouched down, and then sprung up, leaping onto his chest.

"Umph!" He looked at the small creature who had made her place on him. "You think you're allowed up here?"

She cocked her head at him, trying her best to look cute and harmless.

"You're that one from before." He narrowed his eyes at her. "What, you like laying on me?"

She began to purr, as if saying yes.

"Fine, then. I'm all yours. At least you aren't fat."

Katara stretched and made herself comfortable. He looked at her blankly, not particularly happy to be a pillow for a cat, but not really upset at it. He thought for a moment, considering something. "What did uncle say he named you?" She returned his look. "Chih, I think." She fought against the urge to cringe at the stupid name assigned to her.

He reached a hand up to scratch behind her ears. "We're going to cause quite a commotion in the Fire nation. Not only are the exiled Prince and great Dragon of the West returning, but they're bringing a zoo with them."

Katara did her best to hide the look of astonishment. Exiled, she thought, Zuko was exiled?

The boy had a tired but sad look on his face. The girl couldn't help but feel a bit of compassion for him, even if she wasn't all too sure what he was sad about. Banished or not, wasn't returning home a good thing?

"I don't know what Azula is up to," he went on. "She's never been too sweet and caring, but now she's arguing in my favour. I've gone over every single scenario, every one possible, and I can't figure out what she could gain from this."

Katara couldn't help but think of Sokka and her. How could a brother and sister have such a bad relationship that you'd be suspect of the other for every nice thing they did?

Zuko sounded a bit agitated at this point. "She wants the crown; everyone knows that. So why is she practically handing it over to me? If I were banished, she'd be next in line to have it. I just don't get it."

Katara found it impossible to think what kind of life he must have led. She'd only known him as the evil Prince trying to capture the Avatar. But now she felt sympathy for him. That made her wonder why he even wanted Aang so badly.

She started purring loudly and made an effort to look cute. When she got him to smile, she celebrated a job well done, and hopped down to leave. He didn't move as she exited the room and slowly wandered back to her own.

Quietly, she tiptoed into the room. Her brother, Toph, and Aang were all sleeping peacefully, nestled into the blanket. Smiling at the cute scene, she found her own spot and snuggled in. She didn't fall asleep, though. Her mind was busy pondering what Zuko had told her. Looking at the serene expression on Sokka's face, she wondered what world they lived in that could be so mixed up and backwards.

Katara decided she didn't want to be royalty.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"You were in Zuko's bed? With Zuko _in it_?!"

It was shortly after breakfast, and Katara had just told them about her early-morning expedition. Aang and Sokka were, expectedly, freaking out.

"It's not like that," she said in an effort to calm them down. "I'm a _cat_, remember?"

"Oh," Sokka said flatly. "It's okay, then."

One down, one to go.

Aang was still flipping. "His _chest_? Why his chest, of all places?"

"It seemed convenient at the time."

"He let you lie on him? I can't believe it."

"He didn't have much choice in the matter," she jested. The boy wasn't amused, but rather plopped down in a corner of the blanket to sulk. Katara sighed; it would have to do for now.

"So, what, it's like a family feud?" Sokka asked calmly, "What's that all about?"

"I'm not too sure, but it sounds pretty serious. He was really depressed."

Toph cut in, "If he was banished, maybe he did something to dishonour the family?"

Katara shook her head. "Zuko? Dishonourable? I doubt it. He's always going on about honour this and honour that."

"Then I have no clue."

"Me, neither."

After a short silence, Katara got an idea. "What if I just go up and ask him? I can say that I'm a Spirit trapped in cat form."

Sokka sighed. "Katara, there's a fine line between clever and getting us killed. You just crossed it."

She glared at her brother. "Thanks for the encouragement."

"No problem."

She shot him a cross look.

"Don't worry," said Toph optimistically, "I'm sure we'll find out eventually."

Katara sighed. "'Eventually' will have to do, I guess." Noticing her friend was still sulking, she felt a little bad for ignoring him and went to sit down next to the boy.

"I'm sorry, Aang. Should I not have gone for a walk without you guys?"

"It's fine, Katara."

"Sure?"

"Yeah." He smiled, trying to get her to cheer up. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a bit tired."

"That's okay. You can sleep for the rest of the day."

He laughed. "I'm not _that_ tired."

A few feet away, Toph remained silent. If Twinkle Toes is jealous, she thought, it's his own business. No one else needs to know that.

End Chapter Six

A/n: I uploaded some spiffy pictures to my deviantart account (merixthexninja). Check it out? You'll get to see Toph in a pretty dress. –wink- Lots of subtle shipping in this chapter. Did you catch it all? Kanzhi is an OC, just like Shii. Ah, Katara using her kitty charms to pump Zuko for information. Don't you love it? Every time you read and don't review, God kills a bunny rabbit. Save the rabbits! End a/n.


	7. Collar for Kitty

Cattails

Chapter Seven

Collar for Kitty

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle on deck, four small kittens lay relaxing atop a wooden crate. The sun was almost directly above them, and there were hardly any shadows around to hide them from the sun. Warm and happy, they were playing a miniature tournament of a little hand game.

"Ready… Set… Go!"

Aang and Sokka threw their fists in, revealing which element they'd chosen. Sokka, thinking the Airbender would go with his own element, had chosen Earth. Aang, however, held up the sign of Fire. The older boy moaned at his defeat and flopped down, his head hanging off the edge. While the others were laughing and congratulating Aang, the Water Tribe boy noticed something.

"Is that land?" He rolled over onto his stomach so he could get a better view of it.

The rest of the group quieted up and turned to get a look themselves. Sure enough, the outline of an island lay blurrily in the distance.

Aang frowned and squinted at it. "Did the Fire Nation shrink in the last hundred years?"

"No," Katara said, remembering the map she'd seen, "That's our re-supply stop."

"Yes!" Toph grinned excitedly, "Land!"

Katara pouted, "But in this form, it's not like we can even do any shopping."

"We can window-shop," Sokka pointed out.

"Not as good as the real thing. Oh, well… At least we'll get off this ship for a while."

"I don't know, guys," Sokka mused, "I'm starting to like being on this ship."

His sister teased, "Thinking about becoming a pirate?"

The boy rubbed his chin, imagining that. "Captain Sokka… I like that."

At that moment a large crate was slammed down near them, and the four jumped in surprise. The group was suddenly aware of increased ship activity around them. Men were moving barrels and crates about, causing them to worry that one might crush them.

"Well, Captain," asked Katara nervously, "What do you say to getting out of here before we're pancakes?"

"I say, let's go back to the room, where it's quiet and safe."

He and Toph leapt off the crate and started scampering across deck, weaving around the crew so they wouldn't get stepped on. Aang and Katara hopped down and trotted after them. Now more familiar with their route, they had no trouble finding their room and slipped through the half open door. Iroh was inside, to their surprise. He held a pitcher of water and was pouring the fresh drink into their water bowl. Looking up from his task, he smiled when he saw the group clustered around him.

"Shall I take it that you are thirsty?"

Aang went in for a sip, and the man grinned at a job well done. Toph rubbed against his pant leg fondly, thanking him for the water.

The old man laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm glad you have drink, for we," he sniffled dramatically, "_Are out of tea!" _He held an arm over his face in grief, and no one could tell if he was really that upset or just hamming it up.

"At least this afternoon I can buy more. I hear this market has a lot of selection, too! I hope they have as much for tea."

The old man knelt down to smooth Aang and Toph's fur and gave Katara and Sokka a good scratch. After smiling at them, he stood and left the room.

Toph was rather confused by all the different moods he showed in a matter of seconds. One thing she was conclusive on. "He _really _likes tea, doesn't he?"

Katara nodded. "Definitely."

"So," mused her brother, "Tea is the national drink in the Fire Nation? Weird. I was expecting it to be the blood of their enemies."

Aang stuck his tongue out, grossed out at the thought. Toph laughed, rolling on the ground and holding her stomach. His sister shook her head and wondered how they could be related.

Yawning, the young Avatar trotted over to the blanket, intent on a quick snooze. "I think there's time for a cat nap before we land. Any takers?"

Katara nodded in agreement and plopped down next to him. Elated, the boy wondered how he could fall asleep now.

"Sorry; want me to move over a bit?" She asked.

"No, no. That's perfect, Katara." Oh, no. Was perfect too much? Aang worried, maybe I just should have said it's fine. Or okay. God, that must have sounded weird.

The girl didn't hold the same worries, though. "Okay," she relied and made herself comfortable. Aang sighed in relief and did the same, a silly grin on his face. Within minutes the two had dozed off, leaving Sokka and Toph to themselves.

Twiddling his thumbs (err… paws), the young man glanced over at her, wondering what they should do now. She sat expressionless, though, offering no hint to her mood. Looking away, he tried to think of something fun to do. Another peek at the girl gave him no ideas. A few seconds later, he thought of something and went to tell her. Before he could open his mouth, though, Toph gave him a quick bop on the head.

Forgetting his idea, he blurted out, "What was that for?"

"Quit looking at me."

Embarrassed, he realized what she must have thought. "It wasn't like that! I was just trying to think of something to do."

"Wasn't like what?"

Sokka was silent and rubbed his head, stuck in an awkward situation. However, silence can't hide vibrations.

"You're dirty…" she said, turning to walk away.

"No. It wasn't like that!"

She paused a moment, considering something. "Then what?"

"I was going to say, we should go bug Zuko."

"He seems pretty violent; are you sure you want to mess with him?"

"Believe me. Pissing him off is the most fun you'll ever have."

"Then let's do it!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

She was standing in the middle of a vast lake that was half a foot shallow but stretched for miles in any direction. Snow flurries dotted the air, falling to the water's surface like white feathers. The lake water, however, was warm, and Katara stood nearly undressed.

She raised her arms, and as she moved them the water followed the same coarse. Bending and twisting and streaming along with her commands, it was like an elegant ballet. She threw her arms in the sky, preparing for the finale. All around her the water rose and rose, creating a tsunami thousands of feet high.

As the tension built, the water crept up a last few feet, and she prepared to let it come down in a mix of rain and snow and wave. She dropped her arms suddenly, like a swallow diving towards the earth, and the water followed. It was spectacular, and Katara smiled proudly as it drew near…

"BAM!!"

She was awoken from her dream, quite unhappily, as the door was kicked open and bashed into the wall. She and Aang were up now, and glared at the interruption. A young man stood in the shadows of the hallway, dangling something in his hands.

As he stepped into the light, they recognized Zuko. More shocking, though, was that he held a squirming Toph and huffy Sokka. They were dangling from the scruff of their necks like lion cubs being carried by their mother. However, Zuko didn't look like much of a mother as he plopped them down on the bedding and abruptly left, slamming the door completely shut behind him.

"You'll pay for that!" Toph shouted indignantly, rubbing her neck.

Aang rubbed the sleep from his eyes and said, "He looked pissed. What did you guys do?"

"We didn't do anything," fibbed the boy.

"Sokka…" His sister threatened lightly, not fooled by his lie.

"Oh, fine. All we did was go into his room."

"And?"

"And… Knocked stuff off his desk."

"Sokka!" Katara shook her head, resolving to never leave him alone in the presence of Firebenders again.

"Hey! Toph's the one who scratched him!"

The girl shared Zuko's expression as she punched him in the arm. "You didn't have to tell her that!"

Aang slapped his forehead. "Oh, and I _wonder _why he's mad?"

"Beats me," shrugged Sokka, and he received a bop from his sister. Rubbing his head, he muttered, "Why do girls always hit me? I meet a girl, she hits me. I'm locked in a room with a girl, she hits me…"

Toph looked up suddenly, hearing distant shouting. "Do you guys hear that?"

The room was quiet as they listened closely. "Yeah," replied Aang. "What do you think it is?"

"I think we're landing at that port to re-supply." She shot a wrathful glare at her brother, "But thanks to these two knuckleheads, we're locked in here and won't get to look around."

"What!" Toph stomped her foot. "No way! I want off this ship."

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you pissed off the ship's captain."

The younger girl plopped down on the blanket, back to them. "_This sucks."_

"Well," lamented Katara bitterly, "At least there's plenty of time to nap, now."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Iroh was grinning enough for his smile to stretch ear-to-ear as he stood in the small delicacy shop, ogling their fabled selection of tea. Grabbing one canister, he held it to his nose and breathed in exotic flora. Adding it to his bag gleefully, the old man now had as many teas as years.

Outside, his nephew was being harassed by about five different merchants, all wanting him to buy their wares. Zuko stood in the centre of this chaos, arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed. When the boy saw him come out of the store, he shoved a few of the hyenas aside and stomped over to him.

"Are you _done_ yet?"

He was about to say yes when a shop down the road caught his eye. Knowing that look, the young Prince groaned. As soon as the man walked away, the salesmen were back surrounding Zuko. While they tried desperately to make a sale, the boy hosted fantasies of burning them and the whole city to a crisp.

XOXOXOXOXOX

They were so bored that they were competing to see who had the longest _tail_. The four already concluded Aang's ears were biggest, Sokka tallest, and Katara's fur longest. Holding their tails side-by-side, Aang and Toph were immediately out. Now it came down to the Water Tribe siblings.

Under Aang's close scrutiny, it was still quite difficult. Soon it came to light, though. Sokka's was a few centimetres longer physically, but Katara's long fur at the tip gave her an extra inch. Unsure of what to do now, they debated who got that title.

Over their squabbling, Toph heard the faint sound of footsteps by the front bridge of the ship. She waited to see if the person was just dropping something off or not, but after a few more minutes a dozen or so more people boarded, and none had left.

"I think they're back," she announced.

By this point, they'd reached the conclusion that they had to measure in proportion to body length, and Aang, using his own paw length for units, was charged with the job of mathematician. Hearing this, the three stopped their little competition, but Sokka vowed to revisit the issue later.

"Back, or _back _back?"

She answered Sokka's question, "I think they're really back this time. For good."

"Fantastic," praised Katara, "So we can finally get out of this room."

"Hey, don't start that again."

Just then, a thunderous thump in the hall raised their hair on end. It happened again, and again, coming closer like footsteps. As it slowly made its way along, the thing finally reached their door and stopped.

"Hmm… Now why is this door locked?"

One last thump, and the door was opened. Iroh stepped inside the room, not noticing how relieved the four were to see him and not some monster. In the hall, about ten different shopping bags were clustered together—the source of the enormous weight they'd mistaken for a gigantic demon.

The man shrugged, "Perhaps the wind blew it shut? I'll have to get a stopper or something. Speaking of getting," he mumbled, and then went over to the mountain of bags that filled the hall. After rummaging around a moment or two, he exclaimed, "Found them!"

As he stumbled out of his shopping graveyard and came back into their room, no one could tell just what he had behind his back. As he grabbed Aang, though, and snapped it around his neck, it became obvious. Stepping back, the boy wished for a mirror as he tried to see it. The others, however, had no troubles seeing what they were about to receive.

The old general went around the room, fastening three more to them. When all was said and done, every one of the four had a sparkling collar and nametag. Of course, these bared their assigned names, but the dangling charms didn't shine any less for it.

"I hope you like them. They were even on sale! I must say, they look fantastic."

Grinning a last goodbye to them, he then turned to leave. Grabbing the bags, he once again had weight enough to echo in the halls as he walked, and the man slowly thumped down the hall until the thumping faded away. All that was left were the sparkling straps around their necks, wielding names they just might get used to.

End Chapter Seven

A/n: I'm a bad girl. Better late than never, though, right? Hope you enjoyed. I have already started on Eight, so I do hope I'll have it next weekend.

For a giggling good click, I suggest visiting my Deviantart account, merixthexninja. You might just get to see, new this week: a handsome prince, a duel to the death, a lovely lady, and some naughty hijinx. Brought to you by Mister Pencil and Miss Paper.


	8. Spies and Splashes

Cattails

Chapter Eight

Spies and Splashes

"Prince Zuko…" The old general's curled toe shoes clacked on the steel floor as he chased his nephew down the hall.

"We are not staying another day. We're already two days behind schedule!"

"I think three's a storm coming, though. I can feel it."

Zuko's memory flashed back tot hat huge outlier wave that had knocked the ship about. The weather had been nice since then, though; there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the ocean was as calm as ever. "Look at the weather, Uncle. It's a perfect day. If this is about your bones aching, there must be another cause. There's no storm coming."

"This morning, I woke up extremely early because I was so achy! There _is_ a storm."

Zuko shook his head at his uncle's idea of 'early'. The old man had stumbled out of bed at eight thirty to the kitchen and demanded Jasmine tea.

"We have to go. If we're any later than we already are, Azula will start to suspect we've been up to something."

"Unless we bring her a gift!"

He slapped his forehead at the old man's suggestion. Oh, that's not suspicious _at all._ "Are you just looking for an excuse to stay and shop? We've already spent the night here. We're leaving, and that's final."

Iroh frowned as his nephew stomped away. He rubbed his joints, which were still pretty sore. "Am I wrong?" He looked out at the perfect blue sky. "I must be."

XOXOXOXOXOX

The vessel creaked and groaned as it puttered out of port and into open waters. On deck, there was little activity. Towards the stern a man was mopping up a mess of something. Towards the front, four friends sat around talking. From the floor, the ocean was pretty much invisible o them over the high rails. With a clean, empty deck there was nothing to sit atop, either. Serious for once, they discussed future plans.

"Aang, you can't bend in that form."

"I know, Katara. So I guess we'll have to get changed back into humans before we fight the Fire Lord."

Sokka grinned, "Oh, we could probably kick the Fire Nation's butt just like this."

"How? Coughing up a hairball on them?" His sister shook her head at his silliness.

"I don't lick myself, thank you very much." He glared at her accusingly, "But if I did, then yes, I could do that."

Toph made a gagging face. "Why would anyone want to lick themselves? That's gross."

"It's how cats groom themselves."

"So every time you pet a cat, you're really getting cat spit on your hand."

The older girl cringed at that image. "I don't think it works like that."

"Oh."

"Guys?" Aang waved his arm to get their attention. "Focus. I still don't know Firebending, and I don't think I can learn like this."

Katara pondered for a moment and came to an unexpected solution. "Well, if you can't Firebend, the next best thing is watching someone else."

"No! Don't tell me…" He stared wide-eyed in horror, praying she wasn't thinking what he thought she was.

"Yes. We're going to watch Zuko practice."

She was.

"Oh, no," objected Toph. "I'm not going anywhere near him."

"I wouldn't ask you to," she responded. "Okay. You and Sokka stay on deck, then, or in the room. Aang and I will go watch Hothead bend."

"Sounds good to me," Sokka said while yawning, and spread out on the floor, closing his eyes to soak up sunrays.

"See you later, then." The girl tugged Aang off and soon the deck was out of sight.

"But Katara," Aang argued as he was dragged through the grey hallway. "What if he decides to Firebend _us?_"

"Why would he? We're just watching."

"Yeah, but Toph and Sokka…"

"We're not Toph and Sokka. We're Katara and Aang, and have never done anything to get him angry. Well, as cats, anyway. We'll be fine." She grinned as they reached his door and found it open a crack. "Shh…"

Poking her head in, she found luck was on her side. Zuko sat on the floor, eyes closed in meditation. All around the room candles were lit. At first Katara thought he was performing some weird Fire Nation prayer, but then she noticed the flames on the wicks rising and falling with his breath. She grinned and tugged Aang in, then took a seat to watch.

Popping an eye open, Zuko noticed the visitors. Turning to get a look, he saw the two kittens sitting on the floor watching him. When he saw that it was not the same pair that had caused him so much grief the other day, he relaxed his guard and went back to his meditation.

The pair watched as Zuko sat unmoving, breathing deeply. After the first five minutes Aang began to doze off, and Katara pushed him as if saying to sit up straight and try it himself. The boy did, and tried to relax into a meditative state, keeping his breathing in sync with Zuko's. The boys' chests rose and fell simultaneously. Katara watched in awe as the dancing flames cast dream-like shadows around, turning the small bedroom into a temple of fire and light.

The ship lurched, throwing the contents forwards. Quick to act, Zuko extinguished all the flames before the candles clattered to the floor. The young man hastily left the room, and the two were left in darkness.

"Aang," Katara whispered, "Let's go back to the room and see if Sokka and Toph are back."

"Okay!"

The two raced off down the hall, and turned into the not-so-distant doorway of the room they shared, sliding and skidding across the slippery steel flooring. Their friends, however, were not inside.

"Let's check up on deck."

They took off down the corridor, and this time noticed crewmembers dashing about in a hurry. Staying close to the wall, they found their way and leapt up the steps.

Unable to yell for her brother when so many men were around, Katara tiptoed carefully out onto the tilting deck. It was raining heavily, like a cloud burst, and even from her low vantage point she could see the ocean's choppy surface breaking violently against the ship, sending white water flying upwards.

Clouds had overtaken the sun, leaving darkness behind that looked more like midnight than midday. Aang tapped her shoulder and whispered, "They're over there!" He pointed, and she followed his paw.

Sokka was yelling something to Toph that went unheard over the smashing waves. The girl was dangerously close to the unrailed edge of deck, unable to move without slipping. Sokka was a yard away towards the centre, trying to coax her over.

Katara tried moving forwards and proceeded to fall down. The wet metal deck was like an ice-rink as she and Aang slowly slid over to the Water Tribe boy.

"Katara, stay back," he shouted to her. "It's too dangerous."

Closer now, they could see Toph shivering, cold and wet in the downpour. The deck rocked to the side, and she slid out towards the edge a little more, shrieking.

"Toph, come on!" Aang shouted. "You have to move."

"I can't. Every time I take a step, I slip and fall, and I can't see at all!"

"You have to try!"

Terrified, she tried taking a small step. Her paw slipped once, and she tried again. This time she got it, and slowly moved forward.

"That's it. Keep going."

She took another unsure step, and thunder boomed overhead. Halfway through, the sea churned, bashing against the ship. Water erupted around the girl, and for a minute all anyone could see was white surf. The water swept across deck, knocking Sokka to the floor. He rolled a few times toward the edge before he managed to stop himself. As the water receded, even Aang and Katara were drug a few steps along.

When they looked up, Toph was gone.

The crew's voices seemed to fade out. Katara thought she heard Aang shouting, and Sokka cursing. It was like listening to the world through a seashell.

They didn't notice Iroh shouting orders to men until he came over and scooped Aang and Katara up to take them inside. As he went to grab Sokka, that's when he saw Toph struggling against the ocean. An attendant was following behind him, and the old general handed the three over to him. Running to the wall of the ship's tower, he grabbed a rope and tied one end off to the ship. The other he wrapped around his midsection, tugging tightly.

The man holding them went off to the cabin, dumping them off inside before they could see what happened. Aang looked like he was shaking, and Katara crying, although she was so wet you could barely tell. Sokka hit his fist against the steel wall, cursing everything he could think of. The three had no choice but to wait.

Tugged back and forth by the strong currents, Toph kicked and gagged on the stale taste of saltwater. Trying to keep her head above the water was getting more and more difficult. Blind, cold, and weighted down by the water in her fur, the girl tried once again to call out for help, but only succeeded in getting a mouthful of seawater. Coughing, he gave up on that idea.

A wave crashed, burying her in water and pushing her down. Heart beating madly, her mind raced to what could lie beneath those waves. Sharks, sea monsters, gigantic fish that could swallow a man whole; perhaps drowning wasn't all she had to worry about.

She nearly shrieked when she felt something wrap around her. It began pulling her out of the water, holding her tightly. Whatever it was, it was warm and had a heartbeat. Blind to her surroundings, the girl had no choice but to hold on.

Anyone who'd seen it would have been impressed. Old general Iroh, rope tied around him, doing a swan dive off the ship in the middle of a storm. Five men or so held the other end, and began pulling him up on his signal. Holding the kitten to his chest with one arm, he grabbed the rail with the other and pulled himself up and over. On deck, it was raining so heavily he could barely tell the difference between air and sea. Tugging the knot loose, he tossed the rope away.

Another man, the ship's doctor (or at least the only crew member trained in medicine) took Toph and checked her condition. She was breathing, but a lot of water had gotten in her lungs. Laying her down, he put two fingers to her chest and pushed gently, coaxing upwards. She began coughing up water.

"How is she?" Iroh asked him, wiping water from his face so he could see.

"She'll live."

"Thank Agni."

"I'll take her inside and dry her off." The man did such, Toph barely conscious of it. All she knew was that the towel he wrapped around her was warm and soft.

End Chapter Eight

A/n: I completely forgot to do any Valentine's Day specials. But, hey, there are new pics up on my DA. Anyone here fancy Mulan or Fullmoon o Sagashite? If you leave a review, cupid will smile and make your crush fall in love with you. End a/n.


	9. Fire Nation

Cattails

Chapter Nine

Fire Nation

Katara, Aang and Sokka sat down on the floor outside the medical office. The storm was still going on, although they were through the worst of it. Thumps and the groaning of the ship were audible even here in the heart of the vessel. Rain plittered against the steel in a constant white wash of noise. The three were almost dry, now. Solemnly they waited for news of Toph's condition.

In the distance, the squeaking of wet shoes could be heard as the men came in one-by-one. A few people carried stacks of towels out to their quarters. The halls were wet and slippery, but no one had yet fallen.

The door creaked open, and the doctor came out of the room. Noticing the three kittens who sat and waited, and now had excited expressions, he furrowed his brow in thought and then laughed.

"You know, Iroh, these cats of yours act almost human. Think they really know what's going on?"

"Cats are quite intelligent," he answered, appearing in the doorway with Toph wrapped in a blanket in his arms. "It's possible they do."

"Creepy, if you ask me. Next thing you know, they'll be staging a mutiny and overtaking the ship!"

Both the men laughed, and then said their partings. The doctor went off down the hall, probably to attend to some other patient, and Iroh knelt down on the floor in front of the three. Removing Toph from the bedding and setting her carefully on the floor, he smiled as she greeted her friends with head rubs and purrs. He stood to leave, smiling all the way down the hall as he went.

"Are you okay?" Came the first question from Aang.

"Yeah."

"What was going on in there," asked Katara worriedly. "You were in that room for hours!"

"Just checking to make sure I could breathe okay and walk straight."

"What happened outside? We heard men talking, and they said—"

"That Iroh dived into the ocean to save me?"

"So it's true."

"Yep." She started walking, heading back towards their room, and her friends followed. "Don't tell me you guys were waiting here this whole time."

"We were really worried."

"I'm fine now, so don't worry about it."

"Sure you're okay?"

They reached their destination and made their way to the blanket, curling up in their respective spots.

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

Snuggling in, the other three shared the same thought. They closed their eyes and let the beating of the rain dominate their conscious until it faded away into sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOX

A few days passed with ease. They slept through the rest of the storm, and woke up to blue skies and calm waters. There was talk going around the quarters of the crew of what they were going to do once they reached the Fire Nation. Most men said to return to their families; others were going on vacation. Some fantasized about how they would spend their paychecks. They talked about how they missed their families, how old their kids would be now. Zuko and Iroh never said a word.

"Hey… Guys?" Katara said one afternoon while she and her friends were sunbathing on deck. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"Want me," asked Aang, "To come with you?"

"No! I mean… It's all right. I can handle it."

"Oh. Okay… Have fun."

She trotted off, sighing in relief that no one was following her. Zuko had seemed depressed lately. She wanted to know why, and maybe cheer him up a bit.

Stealthily, she made her way to the side of his bed without being noticed. The boy lie in bed, seeming to be thinking of something. Like before, she crouched down and pounced on him, landing on his stomach.

"Umph!" They exchanged eye contact, and he sighed and pat her head. "I thought you things only come back if you feed them."

She cocked her head.

"I'll bet you're tired of my Uncle's bad cooking. When we get to the Fire Nation tonight, you'll be eating like emperors."

_Tonight?_ They were so close now to the Fire Nation, so close to victory…

"That is, if Azula doesn't char-broil you first."

Katara decided she didn't like this Azula person, and shivered a bit at the thought of being charbroiled.

Unconsciously, he fingered his scar, running a finger over the melted-wax texture. Katara made herself comfortable, curling up on his chest and purring. Looking up, Zuko was brought out of whatever he was thinking of, and started smoothing out her fur.

"Prince Zuko! Prince—" A soldier skid into he doorway, running at full speed, and poked his head in the door. "Oh!" He saw him with the cat on his chest and his hand on her head. "Um… Land has been sighted."

"The Fire Nation?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Thank you." The man then ran off, happy from the excitement.

He smiled half-heartedly; setting Katara on the bed and getting up to fetch his armour. "Looks like I'm home…"

She wished he could sound happier about it.

XOXOXOXOXOX

The ship was carefully inched into dock and secured there. One by one the men filed out, carrying bags of luggage. Others came to take the larger items, like the remaining barrel of rice and a trunk belonging to Prince Zuko. Iroh carried the four captive kittens himself—they were thrown together in a basket with a sheet on top. Luckily, how the basket was woven provided many eyeholes for them.

Sokka, Aang and Katara peered out to get a good look at the infamous Fire Nation. It looked quite like a normal Earth Kingdom city, actually, save all the red and gold. A child, a boy of perhaps six or seven, seemed out of place. The three watched as he snuck up behind a fruit stand.

The merchant was busy with another customer, measuring out the two pounds of oranges for the man. The boy, seeing his chance, reached up and grabbed an apple. He thought he had gotten away with it when the stand's owner grabbed his arm with bruising strength, making him drop the fruit. The three watched in horror as the man blasted the boy's hand with fire. The child screamed, snatching away his burnt hand. The man took the apple he had tried to steal and wiped it off, placing it back in the pile. Another man, in his forties and with an enraged expression, came and grabbed the boy. They could hear him stutter, "Father! I…" before he was slapped across the face. Biting his lip to keep from crying, the little boy was tugged off.

"That's insane," muttered Aang in a whisper.

"Oh my Gods, that poor kid! It was just an apple," Katara replied unbelievingly.

Sokka whispered, "There's something wrong with this country."

The march proceeded until they came to what looked like the centre of the city. A circular area was empty of stands and buildings, with only a few benches arranged around the outside of the circle. In the centre a few tiles were laid on the ground in a pattern. Across from them stood a few soldiers dressed in uniform and a girl who looked about Sokka's age. They met, and the lower-ranking soldiers stood at attention. Only the girl, Zuko, and Iroh didn't.

"Hello, brother! I'm glad to see you made the trip safely."

I knew it, Zuko thought to himself. She's implying that we took too long and wants to know where we've been.

"Hello, Azula. Pardon the lateness," he replied politely, with just a pinch of distaste. "We ran into some bad weather."

"Oh, that's a shame. It must have been a big storm."

Translation—I still don't believe you, but that will do for now.

Azula glanced over to Iroh, who held the four kittens in their basket. "Uncle Iroh, I see you've brought an addition to the zoo. How lovely!"

"These are my new pets," he laughed. "I don't think the zoo would like housecats."

"Well, let's be on our way, then." They started moving out, the crewmembers going off in different directions in the city. As an afterthought, she said, "Oh, Zuko, our father would like to see you. After you put down your things, you should head there right away."

Zuko flinched, remembering the last time he spoke with his father. At length, he replied, "Yes…"

XOXOXOXOXOX

When they first saw the palace, the three couldn't believe the immense size. (Toph, still trapped in the basket with them, couldn't see it.) The doors looked big enough to fit an elephant through, and Katara wondered how the royal family even got them open. Domes and tiered towers spread all the way to the sky, making anyone who sought entry think twice about it. The entire structure was red and gold, and stood like a giant torch in the city. The doors opened for Iroh, Zuko, and Azula, and they all entered, Iroh still carrying them safely in his basket. Strangely, the basket was more of a comfort than a restraint.

They wandered through he halls, a seemingly endless maze of corridors and closed doors. A few stairwells shot off here and there. They turned to climb one, and wound their way up to the second story. This hallway, it seemed, was decorated even more marvellously than the first. Suits of armour lined the hall like a security system. Pictures and sword displays were hung on the walls, with a tapestry every once in a while depicting bloody battles, masters of Fire, past royalty, and enchanting Gods and Spirits.

All the while, Azula was telling Zuko about the recent victories of the Fire Nation. Sokka nearly cried listening to it. There were so many battles, and all of them a victory for Fire. A few names of Earth villages they'd stopped in before were among those listed, and Aang wondered about those people who were so kind to him. Were they even still alive?

Eventually Iroh stopped walking in front of an opened door. Azula and Zuko continued down the hall, but the old man entered this room. Inside was a bedroom, and someone had already brought his things up. Gently, he set the basket on the floor and flipped the sheet off. The four hopped out and looked around. It wasn't as big a room as they'd imagined, but it was still a good size and decorated luxuriously. A dark-red and gold comforter with a pattern of flames was draped over the bed. Iroh went to sit on it, resting his tired feet.

Katara marvelled at the painting hanging on the walls. They were skilfully done, and would be beautiful if only they weren't displaying battles of the Fire Nation beating some other country to a pulp. Aang was having fun with a tasselled curtain pull, while Sokka looked at himself in a mirror, amazed at the strange sight. He might never get used to looking in a mirror and seeing a cat. Toph sat in the centre of the room, concentrating on something.

After a few minutes Iroh got up and stretched. "Well," he said," I'd better go and say hello to everyone. I haven't seen them in over two years." He yawned, walking out of the room and closing the door three-quarters of the way.

"These people are messed up," ranted Katara. "Who would want pictures of people being burnt to death in their bedroom?"

"So they have bad taste in art. But look at this!" Aang swatted the tassel around for them to see. "This is fun!"

"I have big ears," sighed Sokka.

"Hey, Aang?"

"What is it, Toph?"

"Go into that closet over there."

He followed her direction and went inside. "Yeah, it's pretty big."

"Look around. Do you see anything?"

"Besides mothballs?" He rummaged around a few moments. The Water Tribe siblings came over to watch, curious. "Yeah," he shouted excitedly, "There's a loose panel covering up a big hole! It looks like it leads somewhere."

"Wow, Toph!" Katara ginned, excited at the opportunity for adventure. "Show me!" She hopped over to where Aang had his head in the hole. It was about a foot and a half tall and wide, and about a mile and a half long, it seemed.

"Where do you think it leads?"

"Let's find out!"

"Oh, no. I just got here," stated Sokka firmly, "And I'm not going off on some weird adventure down a rabbit hole."

"What about you, Toph?"

"Eh… I'd rather not. Besides, someone has to baby-sit Sokka."

"Hey!" came his indignant objection.

"Okay, it looks like it's just you and me, Katara!" Aang grinned and crawled inside, fitting perfectly. He started tiptoeing down as Katara waved goodbye and followed behind him.

"Isn't this exciting?" Katara asked. "We're like explorers!"

"I hope it leads somewhere fun, like the moon or a secret lake!"

"Ha ha, how could it lead to the moon?"

"Who knows? It's the Fire Nation, after all."

"Well, we will just have to find out, then."

XOXOXOXOXOX

A long while later, the two were still in the passageway. They'd been moving in near darkness for quite a while. Luckily, there hadn't been any forks or verticals, and they only came across one spider. At last, they saw a glimmer of light up ahead.

Aang poked his head out. They were sill inside the palace, but here cobwebs dominated and rafters protruded from a bare ceiling. Stepping out, he looked around in wonder. Old boxes and crates were stacked around. Katara hopped out behind him and marvelled at it herself.

"It's like an old attic."

Aang flipped open a lid and rummaged through the box's contents. "Wow, look at this!" He pulled out a sting of pearls longer than he was.

"Oh!" She gasped and went to help him, getting a look herself. "That's beautiful, Aang!" Even in the faded light, they still gleamed and sparkled.

He dug further through the box, Katara watching. Old clothes straight out of the history books, ancient scrolls, and hair ornaments were all covered in a fine layer of dust. Katara took a scroll and unrolled it as best she could. Even the writing style was pretty outdated, and they used a few words she didn't recognize, but the overall meaning was clar. It was a first-hand account of an ancient battle.

"What does it say?"

"It's about… The Sung Yee-Han battle."

"Wow! That was over two hundred years ago!"

"This is amazing! They must not like throwing things out here."

"Hey, Katara. Look at me!" Aang struck a pose, his face covered in a purple veil.

She laughed at his act. "Aang, you do know that's a concubine's veil, right?"

"A what?" He sneezed, the fabric blowing up over his head and laying over his ears.

"Never mind. Let's get back, okay? Sokka and Toph are going to start to worry."

"Okay. Should we tell them what we found?"

She thought about that a minute. "No, let's not. Toph wouldn't care, and Sokka doesn't appreciate things like this." She smiled playfully, "Let's make this our secret place."

Aang could have blushed at how cute that smile was. "Okay. It's our secret."

End Chapter Nine


	10. Difficulties

Cattails

Chapter Ten

Difficulties

Katara sighed, nudging the curtain aside for another look. The sky was black, with gleaming stars and constellations. It looked like the nighttime sea, sounds moving across in waves while the sky in between was calm, motionless, and as deep as infinity. The stars looked just like the reflections of the moonlight on the rippled surface of the Ocean.

Tonight was a full moon. It was that magical once-a-month event that enhanced her bending three-fold. If any other night you could only move puddles, tonight you could control oceans.

Katara would love to be out there right now, standing next to some pond or river or even the sea, just bending the water and becoming one with it. Unfortunately, cats can't bend.

She settled on staring at the moon and fantasizing about Waterbending.

XOXOXOXOXOX

They were all awake before Iroh, even Sokka. Considering he was a Firebender, that was strange. They had always heard that Fire people, especially benders, rose with the sun. This held true for the rest of the palace; apparently their owner was a black sheep. Aang had woken up energetic, so he went for a walk with Sokka. They had to admit, eavesdropping was much easier now. With the small bodies, they could be right beside a person without their knowledge. Even if the two were discovered, they appeared as regular house cats. Perhaps the person would pet them, but no one had any grief about speaking in the presence of felines.

And so, that is how the boys obtained the knowledge that there would be a war meeting later that day. This was valuable information for someone planning to topple an empire.

An hour later, they'd run back into the room to find the two girls alone. "Katara, Toph! Guess what we found out!"

"What is it, Aang?" Katara replied, much calmer than the excited young Avatar.

"War meeting! Tonight!" Sokka was, if you can believe it, even more excited than Aang.

"Oh, that's good."

"Yeah! They'll probably talk about their strategies and they'll reveal all the Fire Nation's weaknesses to us!"

"Oh my gosh," Toph said breathlessly, "That's amazing!" Sokka smiled, glad someone else understood how awesome an event this was. "This carpeting is so soft!" Realizing her sarcasm, his grin quickly fell into a pout.

"But, guys," Aang said calmly, "This really can help us. We should all try to go."

"Okay. What time?"

"Seven o'clock."

"Got it. So, just follow all the old men in their snooty footsteps there?" Toph certainly had a way of phrasing things.

"Uh," he said, "Yeah…"

"'Kay." She stood and stretched, clawing the carpet a bit. "See you there, Twinkletoes."

"You're leaving?"

"Yup. My nose smells breakfast, and my stomach agrees." She sashayed out the door, mocking their royal surroundings. "Good day, gentlemen and milady." With this last quip, she was gone.

Katara sighed, unintentionally gaining Aang's interest "Hey, Katara. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine. What's wrong?"

"It's just that… Last night was a full moon—the best night of the month for Waterbenders. But cats can't bend."

"Oh. I'm sorry. When we're human again, you can Waterbend all you want with me."

She smiled at his attempt to cheer her up. "Thanks, Aang."

"Hmm… I'll see you two lovebirds later," said Sokka. Aang nearly choked at the word 'lovebirds'.

"Where are you going?" asked his sister.

"We have all day to kill, so," he replied with a grin, "I'm going to go amuse myself."

"Just don't get in trouble!" Sokka would be wise to adhere to this wisdom, but he was already halfway out the door.

She sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. She just knew that whenever something _amused_ Sokka, it usually caused trouble for everyone else.

Getting a good idea, the girl stood up. "I'll see you later, Aang."

"You're leaving, too?"

"Mhm." She saw him get a sad expression. "Why don't you go find Toph and see if she hasn't gotten herself in trouble?"

"Yeah… I'll see you." She left, and the boy sighed; joining Toph on her antics was the last thing he wanted to do. "How'd I end up all alone?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Toph sniffed the air, fully appreciating her sensitive cat nose. All around her wafted the fragrance--slightly salty, with a hind of lemon spice, and definitely fishy. Her stomach gurgled, aching for the delicacy.

Like a truffle hog, she sniffed her way through the palace, finding herself in the laundry room. Of course, she didn't know this, and the scent of tasty fish was so strong she could have sworn it was the kitchen.

Smelling her way, she crouched down below the table the scent was emanating from. She counted off three, and then pounced, set on stealing the unguarded trout. Her weight landing suddenly on the flimsy folding table caused it to buckle, collapsing towards her. The basket that was atop it slid off, hitting her, and they both fell to the floor.

It was like being hit by a juggernaut, and Toph found herself on the floor with a major headache. She realized she was underneath the overturned basket, and that the table had fallen on top of it. She tried vainly to push it off and free herself, but the weight of the table—however flimsy it was—was still too great for her small body to conquer.

Adding insult to injury, the source of the fishy stench—fisherman's clothes waiting to be washed—lay in a mangled pile next to her, taunting the girl and reminding her that her own gluttony got her here.

"_This sucks."_

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara looked down at her reflection, putting a paw up to play with her ears. It took her a while, but at last she found it. A small pond in the courtyard was home to koi and turtleducks, and happened to be the largest body of water on royal grounds. The turtleducks, swimming in a line, quacked in order, one after another. They were enjoying the sunny day by swimming around the pond.

Looking around, Katara made sure she was alone. Waterbending as a cat was an impossible, futile effort, but she was going to try anyway. Rearing up on her back legs, she stood awkwardly upright. Trying one of the basic moves, she attempted gathering some of the water into a ball. Her arms moved just fine, but when the time came that she had to shift her weight, the off-balance girl fell down, landing in a heap on the grass. The turtleducks honked and quacked like they were laughing at her. Still the water had not moved.

She settled on sitting and daydreaming that she could Waterbend.

XOXOXOXOXOX

It took him a few tries, but Sokka managed to find it--Zuko's bedroom, with the door conveniently open a crack. Peeking inside, the Firebender was not there, and Sokka entered. He went over to the closet and nudged the door open. Inside, it was eerily organized, with everything in its place. Seven or eight red outfits, like those he normally wore, hung from coat hangers. After them, a black ceremonial robe came, and then a suit of Fire Nation armour was piled on the floor next to a black pair and a red pair of shoes.

"Boring."

He moved on, searching the room for something exciting. He found a basket of scrolls on a high shelf and knocked it down. He unrolled each a little so he could read. One was on a fancy Firebending move; the rest about Fire Nation history.

"Boring."

Next he found a locked trunk, but he couldn't open it. A drawer in his desk, though, opened right up. Shuffling through, he found a few blank scrolls, a jar of ink, and two pens. The previously organized drawer now looked like a twister had hit it.

Sokka moved on, poking his head under the bed. There was nothing there, not even a dust bunny. He hopped atop the bed, which was already made, and found the pillow. He flipped it over and it fell onto the floor. There was nothing underneath it..

Suddenly a hand grabbed him and tore him off the bed. The other hand grabbed his legs to prevent him from clawing the person.

"Got you!" Sokka could turn his head enough to see Zuko was holding him captive, obviously less than pleased to see his room in such disarray.

Wiggling, he bit Zuko's finger and the boy dropped him. Scrambling, Sokka ran for it. Before he could reach the door, Zuko tackled him, pressing him flat on the ground rather painfully. He choked out, "Mreowl!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zuko holding a burlap sock—the same kind used to carry laundry—and a few moments later it was being used to carry Sokka.

Zuko held it up in the air, satisfied to see the destructive little fur ball twirling around helplessly at the bottom. The cat moaned pitifully, but Zuko wasn't having any of that. He stomped off down the hall, heading to his Uncle's room. Entering, Iroh wasn't inside, so Zuko opened the closet, threw the entire sack inside, and slammed it shut. Then he took a moment to nurse his bitten finger, which was now bleeding.

Inside the sack, Sokka found he couldn't find the way out. He struggled a few moments, attempting to find the exit. Unfortunately, he didn't know that he wouldn't be able to free himself from the sack until an hour later, and then only to find the closet door locked.

XOXOXOXOXOX

At six thirty, Aang left the room to find where the meeting was to take place. No one was going in yet, except a maid to do some last-minute cleaning. The door was shut tightly, with not even a crack to squeeze through. He looked around for his friends, but no one had shown up yet.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sokka moaned helplessly from the closet. He was hungry, thirsty, had to use the restroom, and worst of all—about to miss the war meeting. He'd been stuck in there for hours, meowing for help the whole time. Apparently, no one else had come inside the room. Desperate, he threw himself against the door, trying to force it open. Aang and Katara had told him the mysterious passage had led to a dead end. The door refused to open, no matter how much he banged against it. The boy was completely trapped.

"Damn it!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara signed, using a claw to cut through the water and send ripples throughout. A few visiting nobles, she guessed they must have been, had come earlier and tossed breadcrumbs to the turtleducks. The foul honked with delight and gobbled the bread up. Those same birds were still there, traversing the pond. The girl almost wished she was a turtleduck instead of a cat, just so she could live a life on the sparkling water.

XOXOXOXOXOX

If Toph were a Firebender, she'd have the palace up in flames in two seconds with how angry she was. She was still trapped, but the situation was even worse now. The basket had started to cave in from the weight of the table on top. Every minute that passed, the roof above her sank, millimetre by millimetre.

"Damn it! Doesn't anyone do laundry here?"

What's worse, the stench of the fisherman's clothing had really started to reek. The smell was even attracting flies. All this was going on not two feet from her head. She grumbled, hungry and nauseous from the rotting-fish stench. Impatient, she meowed as loud as she could, trying to attract help. No one showed up, though, and the girl tried in a futile effort to push against the basket, barely having room left to turn around.

XOXOXOXOXOX

A half hour had passed, and still none of his friends had shown up. Inside, though, the nobles and military had. A pair of guards stood outside the closed door, opening it only for those who were a high enough rank to enter.

He'd tried to sneak in once, but the guard had shooed him away. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. He had to act now. The others would just have to find their own way in.

When a portly man in a trench coat showed up, Aang decided the Spirits must be looking out for him. The back of the coat dangled not an inch above the floor. Timing it perfectly, and watching his tail, the Avatar launched his attack. He dove under the coat and hid between the man's feet just as he was stopping for the guards to verify him. As the man walked forward, he raced to keep in time with his large footsteps. No one noticed as he kept this up until the man took his seat. Having avoided being crushed or spotted, the stowaway darted out under the table as the man plopped down in his chair. Free, he hid beside a table leg, waiting for the war meeting to begin.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Humming, the white-haired woman carried the basket at her side. Stepping into the laundry room, she gasped at the mess. A table had fallen atop one of the baskets, crushing it. Looking closer, she saw something move inside.

"Oh, Agni! You poor kitty!"

She removed the table, which by this point had almost flattened the basket. Taking the crushed thing off, she set it on the table and went to check if the kitten was okay. However, she turned her head just in time to see the thing dart out the door and down the hall.

"War meeting!" Toph gasped breathlessly, sprinting full speed down the hall. "Late!"

She skid around a corner. Knowing the meeting room was just ahead, she turned off and gunned it. The hallways echoed with a loud BANG as the little cat slammed head first into the closed wooden doors.

XOXOXOXOXOX

The turtleducks marched one by one out of the pond and home for the night. Sighing, Katara looked up from her reverie. Seeing the sun low in the sky, she realized what time it was and jolted up.

"Oh, I have to meet Aang!"

She then stood, stretched, and hurried off.

Approaching the room, she found the doors closed. Toph was sprawled out on the floor, moaning a bit.

"Toph! Are we too late?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to you?"

"I found out the hard way."

She didn't know what the girl meant by that. "Are Aang and Sokka inside?"

"No clue. I haven't seen them all day."

"Oh." She took a seat next to her. "Me neither. I hope they made it in time."

XOXOXOXOXOX

In the dark and quiet of the closet, Sokka slept soundly, tired out from his long struggle. Faint sounds of snoring could be heard from just inside the room.

XOXOXOXOXOX

The doors were heavy and thick, allowing no sound to escape. Apparently, the Fire Nation took great precautions against eavesdropping. Both Toph and Katara tried and failed. An hour or so later, Katara was trying again, her ear pressed right up against the wood. She didn't hear talking, but she did hear something else. On the other side, something _clicked_, and Katara scrambled away just in time. The doors finally opened, and the men streamed out into the hall. Pressing herself against a wall to avoid being crushed, Katara kept watch for Aang and her brother. After all the people had left, Aang came last, looking nervous. Her brother was not in sight.

"Katara, Toph!" He noticed them and went to join the girls. "You didn't make it."

"Sorry, I lost track of time," apologized the older girl.

"I was a victim of the sea trade."

"Huh?" Aang and Katara said in unison.

"Never mind. Where's meathead?"

"Sokka's not with you?" The girls shook their heads. "He wasn't in there with me," said Aang. "I haven't seen him all day."

"That's odd." They started walking, heading back to Iroh's and their room. Katara murmured, "I just hope he's okay."

A short while later, after Aang told the two that no one really said anything useful in the meeting, they stood just in the hall outside their destination. Toph stopped, commanding them to be quiet. She stood, turning her head ever so slightly, ears flicking.

"What is it?"

"I found Sokka."

Nonchalantly she went in to the room with the others following behind her. She approached the closet, and beat a fist against it once. The door opened, sending the boy who had been sleeping against it sprawling.

"Hey!" He looked around at the snickering and confused faces of his comrades. "Oh, the war meeting! Did I…"

"Missed it."

"Damn."

"Sokka," began his sister, and he prepared himself mentally. "Were you trapped in that closet this whole time?"

"Yes…"

"How did you get in there?"

He refused to answer.

"Sokka, the door locks from the _outside._"

He started to sweat.

Between siblings passed an inaudible message. Call it woman's intuition or telepathy, Katara got it.

"You pissed off Zuko again, didn't you?"

"You know, I think I'm still kind of tired. Goodnight!"

Katara shook her head, wondering why she even worried. "My brother, the idiot."

"Oh!" Said the accused, "How did the meeting go?"

The three shared a grin. "It was amazing!"

"Spectacular!"

"Awesome!"

"There were fireworks and cheerleaders!"

"And meat!"

"Lots of incriminating information on the Fire Nation!"

"Their Achilles' heel, too!"

His face dropped, and Katara could have sworn a tear fell from his eye. "_Goodnight!"_

Suppressing their laughter, they joined the boy, tired out from their long day. They fell asleep, only faintly aware of a fishy odour coming from Toph.

End Chapter Ten

A/n: Sorry, Toph. I had to do it! Hey, folks, just want you to know I'll be out next weekend. I'm going to Florida to visit my grandpa. This will be my first time to the south! I'll be expecting to get pelted with both bibles and bare boobies (Bible Belt plus Spring break?) Anywho, I'll be there, so I won't be here. Meaning no new chapter next weekend. T.T I know. But, hopefully, this chapter was amusing enough to get you through it.

Thanks for reading. Remember, reviews save the lives of bunnies and kitties.


	11. Azula and Iroh

Cattails

Chapter Eleven

Azula and Iroh

A/n: I'd just like to thank you guys for being so patient and supporting. Sorry, MBPC, but I've had this chapter in mind since the beginning. Also, I'm working on an illustration for Cattails right now. It'll look kind of like a cover page, lol. Thanks for reading, and here's the story! End a/n.

A gentle breeze blew, alleviating the heat of the Fire Nation sun. Four kittens lie in the grass, soaking up these same rays. Warm enough to purr, the friends hardly looked like any threat tot the great nation. The soft grass was perfectly green; the cloudless sky was perfectly blue. In the distance a soft thump sounded—a footstep into the courtyard—that alerted one of the group. Toph raised her head, ears flicking. Three people had just stepped outside for some afternoon sun. Satisfied that there was no threat, she rested her head back down and relaxed.

Toph, of course, couldn't see what the three girls looked like. One had lighter hair in a braid, and was awash in a sea of pink. As they came over onto the grass, she started stretching, making a show of her contortionism. Another girl, who was as black as the gymnast was pink, flopped down on the ground, squinting against the bright sun. The third girl they'd met once before—Zuko's sister, Azula.

"It's so hot!" Ty Lee moaned, currently touching her wrists to her toes. "I don't know how you can wear black, Mai."

The dark girl glared at the offensively bright clothes of her friend. "I don't know how you can wear _pink_."

Azula cracked her knuckles, stretching out her arms and legs at a leisurely pace. The other two quieted down and took a seat from a safe distance away. As Azula took her stance, it became apparent they hadn't come outside to smell the flowers in the garden.

Crouching down, she leapt up into the air, doing a windmill kick. Her heel struck the ground like a match and sent sparks flying. She spun around and punched forward, sending a sheet of flames over the two girls' heads. This next move would be a big one—the most destructive move in her arsenal, besides lightning. Azula took a deep breath and slid one leg forward into a lunge position. She exhaled as she slid back up and turned slowly, her hands and arms controlling the fire that she was building up. Ty Lee and Mai realized that this was a new move and watched in anticipation.

She slid back down into a lunge, and then up again, standing perfectly straight with her arms framing the fire. She did this four times, spinning all the while in a complete circle. Now, it was time to release her dragon. She took a step back. When her heel connected with the sleeping Katara, Azula knew that her balance was lost. She didn't want to fall and have a giant fireball land on top of her. In the split second she had, she extinguished what she could and sent the rest of the flames into the sky—it didn't look anything like her dragon. Meanwhile, the kitten was abruptly awoken, and scrambled to get out of the way. Her two friends watched in horror as the Princess fell ungracefully on her butt. Katara screeched—the Firebender had landed right on her tail. Trapped, she endured a minute of agony as her tail was crushed.

Azula got up, rubbing her head where she bumped it. She looked perfectly enraged. Before the cat could flee, Azula snatched her up. Katara and Azula stared at each other, blue eyes into gold.

"Are you okay, Azula?" Ty Lee was genuinely concerned. However, Azula didn't reply. She was preoccupied.

"You're in my way, cat." She frowned at the kitten, who was helpless in her grasp. Then the Fire Princess smirked. "Do you know what the Fire Nation does when someone gets in our way?"

Aang, Sokka, and Toph watched helplessly as Azula said this. They all wanted to help Katara and make sure she was all right. Ty Lee and Mai saw where this was going and gave each other a nervous look.

Then, Katara flew.

Azula tossed the kitten towards the pond, sending gasps throughout the party. The second-and-a-half of flight felt like an hour. Katara managed to turn her head enough to see the approaching water. For a sickening moment, her heart stopped beating, she drew no breath, and the only thing she could think was how calm the winds were, because there wasn't even one ripple on the water.

She hit the surface with a splash, and it felt like hitting stone.

"Azula!" Ty Lee almost went into the pond to rescue the cat as it frantically pawed the water.

"Don't worry," she replied coldly, "It's _Iroh's_ cat." One glare from her stopped Ty Lee from attempting rescue. Mai stood frozen, shocked. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Azula stood, tapping her foot impatiently. "Are you coming?" She was totally ignoring the meowing and splashing. The two girls felt sick, but relentingly followed her out of the courtyard.

"Katara!" Her brother yelled, racing off to save her. Aang's paw on his shoulder was all that held him back.

"That's no good. If she can't swim, neither can you. We need help."

Toph sniffed the air. Tea. Jasmine tea! Where was it coming from? She felt for it, knowing who drank tea t his time of day. There…

She raced off, knowing he would help.

"Where's she going?"

"I don't know. Hang in there, Katara! Sokka, help me find a stick or rope or something." The boys searched the area, looking for something to use.

Katara kicked futilely, trying to keep her head above water. This is so ironic, she thought. I'm a Waterbender, and I'm going to drown in five feet of water.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Ah… This is how to live!" Iroh grinned and poured himself another cup of the steamy drink. As he raised the cup to his mouth, he noticed a faint clacking sound. It was like claws on tile…

When he saw the fur ball juggernaut come sprinting towards him, he grabbed the teakettle and cup away from the table just before she leapt up onto it. She slid across the tabletop and began tugging at his robe with her teeth. When he didn't move, she pulled harder.

"What is it?"

She released him and hopped down, then trotted a few paces away. She looked back expectantly.

"You want me to follow you?" He looked mournfully to his tea, which would be cold by the time he got back. Sighing, he set the pot and cup on the little table and followed the kitten, who set off at a brisk pace, so he had to jog.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Aang, I found a branch!"

The two ran to the edge of the pond and held it over the water, holding it with their teeth. Sokka spat the wood out and cursed when he was that it only reached halfway to his sister.

"Keep looking!"

Toph burst onto the scene, with Iroh following behind. Sharply, the first thing he noticed was the thrashing kitten in the middle of the pond. He hustled over, unhooking his armour as he went and letting it drop to the ground. The old man waded out and scooped her up, holding her lovingly against his shoulder to calm her down. She was set free on land, and he wringed out his robe.

"These four…" he mumbled. "There's something about them. What kind of cats would think to come to me and ask for help?" He scanned the garden, noticing there were no tree limbs that hung that far over the pond. So how'd she get there?

There were two things up, but one was more pressing than unusually clever cats. Checking one last time to make sure she was okay, he left to go change into dry clothes.

XOXOXOXOXOX

A knock sounded on the Princess's door. She and her friends were inside, playing a board game. "Come in," she called, not wanting to have to pause the game.

"Azula," said the visitor in a less-than-happy voice.

"Uncle, what is it? We're busy."

"It's the strangest thing," he began, being careful with his wording. "This afternoon I found Chih, one of my cats, in the middle of the pond, thrashing about in the water."

"How interesting," she feigned surprise. "I didn't know cats could swim."

"She couldn't. She almost drowned before I rescued her."

"Oh."

"It's just so strange. I don't know how she even got out there! She couldn't have jumped that far, and there are no branches that hang that far out." He hid his accusations well, "Do you have any idea how she got there?"

Mai and Ty Lee felt a knot in their stomachs.

"No idea, Uncle," said the Princess calmly. "Now, if you don't mind," she gestured to the game, "We're busy."

The look on her friends' faces gave the girl's lie away.

"Well, thanks for your help. I'm sure I'll find out how this happened, so it will not happen again." The subtle threat reached its audience, who gave no facial expression of recognition. Iroh left the room satisfied that his ploy had worked.

Azula turned to her friends. "You could at least _try _to act innocent."

"Sorry…"

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara lay shivering in the grass. Her friends surrounded her, trying to get the girl warm. In the process of drying, her fur had poofed into an afro. She looked exactly like a big, quivering pile of fur, with two cat ears stuck on top. She was thankful it was a sunny day, for the sun was keeping her warm and helping her dry off.

"The Fire Nation," she concluded, "Is crazy."

Her friends were just glad she was safe.

End Eleven


	12. I Don't Do Mice

Cattails

Cattails

Chapter Twelve

I Don't Do Mice

Hirogin donned his toque and apron for another day of work. He loved his job—it was a symbol that he was the best of the best. Grabbing the order for today—an extensive list of who would be eating what and when—he quickly reviewed it and went to the pantry to fetch the ingredients. He opened the door, list-in-hand.

Three pairs of red eyes stared at him from the darkness. Quickly, he lit a torch and saw the invading army of little brown soldiers, feasting on the rations of nibbles from his culinary arsenal.

"Eeeeeiiiiyaaaaaaaa!!"

The kitchen door burst open, and a soldier entered, in battle mode at the sound of the scream. "Are you okay? I heard a little girl scream and… Oh." The man stopped when he saw the head chef standing atop the table, quivering and shaking.

"Help! Mice—they're everywhere!"

The soldier caught one of the brown fur balls out of the corner of his eye, scuffling away for dear life. "Er, I think they're gone, sir."

The manly chef withdrew his hands from over his eyes and took a look himself. "Hrm…" He cleared his throat, taking on an extra-deep voice. "Yes, it would appear so." He tried in vain to save face. His bravado dropped when he saw the havoc wrought upon his pantry. "My kitchen…"

"Sir?" The soldier got a clever idea. "I can take care of your rat problem."

"Really?"

"Yes, under one condition. Make me dessert for a week—free of charge."

Chef Hirogin smiled. "Deal!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

A knock sounded on the old man's door, awakening him from slumber. Lazily, he rolled out of the comfort of his bed and opened the door. A soldier on the other side saluted.

"General Iroh, sir."

"At ease. Can I help you?"

"Yes. I came to request a favour of you."

His eyes were filled with surprise. "What?"

The red-dressed man glanced over to where the four kittens lay watching him. "The kitchen has been overrun with mice, and you have four cats here…"

"You want to hire my cats to kill your mice?"

"Yes, please, sir."

"Okay, I guess. I'll see you in the kitchen in an hour."

"Thank you, sir!" He seemed almost giddy as he walked off, as would anyone who was going to get a treat from a royal chef.

Iroh got up and dressed, then gave the four a quick brushing. An hour later they arrived promptly by the kitchen and were met by the chef.

"Thank you so much, General Iroh."

"Think nothing of it." He glanced at his four, "If we just put them in the kitchen, will they know what to do?"

"It should come naturally, I think."

"Hmm…" He stroked his beard, then knelt down next to the kittens. "Kill the mice, okay?" he whispered to them.

The door was opened and they were pushed gently inside. The two men watched from the window.

"I don't want to kill mice," Katara whispered.

"Neither do I." Aang gestured to his arrow, "I'm supposed to help, not hurt."

"Oh, shush, you two." Sokka stretched on the floor, extending his claws and clacking them against the tile. "Just let your cat instincts take over."

Toph grinned. "I bet I can kill the most!"

"You're on," replied Sokka daringly. The two stalked off, searching for prey.

Katara shuddered. "I hate mice as much as anyone, but no way am I killing them." She hopped up onto the countertop to get out of the way. When she noticed a nibbling sound, she turned her head slowly, and out of the corner of her eye saw a mouse nibbling through a bag of flour behind her.

The girl let go a scream, which came out as more of a mreowling screech. Sokka and Toph smiled devilishly and ran toward the rodent. As the approached, the mouse fled, coming so close to Katara that she bailed and leapt off the counter. The two hunters jumped up and skid across, colliding with the vacant sack and sending it skidding off the other side to land in a puff of white on the floor.

The mouse ran for dear life, and Sokka gave a battle cry, "After it!" The two savagely assaulted it with attempts to pounce atop it or sink their claws into its furry flesh. The mouse scurried away as fast as its paws could carry it, and at last made it to sanctuary—a tiny crack in the wall, which it narrowly squeezed through.

Even though Sokka tried, he couldn't get in, and neither could his paw.

Toph resorted to her own secret weapon. She felt the vibrations echoing through the kitchen, and searched for the tiny disturbances of the mice. Most were hidden behind a wall where she couldn't get them, but one was munching lunch in the pantry…

Trying not to alert Sokka to her find, she tiptoes over. Unfortunately for Toph, he was on to her.

"I'm going wherever you're going."

Showdown style, the two crept toward the pantry, keeping one eye on the mouse and one on each other.

Mean while, the adults overseeing them decided this was going to take a while, and went off to go chat.

Aang flinched when he heard sudden banging and fighting. In the pantry, Sokka and Toph found a treasure cove of rodents and had gone on the offensive. While they were busy trying to make a kill, one escaped the death-trap and ran for its life. When it got to the other side of the room, the thing slowed down and sucked in some oxygen.

Aang watched as it took out the food it carried in its mouth and adjusted it. Over by the wall, two tiny mice emerged out of a mall hole. They came sniffing the air and dancing around happily, then started towards the larger mouse Aang had been watching. When another mouse emerged from the hole and squeaked something at them, the two went back inside to safety. Aang's mouse watched intently before going over towards these other mice.

"Hey!" Aang whispered loudly as he stepped in front of it. The little creature took off running, and he pursued. "Wait! I'm the Avatar! I ant to help you!"

The mouse made a wrong turn towards the cabinet—there was no mouse hole here. He was trapped in between the wall, the cabinet, and Aang. With one last distant gaze to the other mouse, he accepted his fate and waited patiently for death. However, Aang didn't deliver.

"I'm not going to eat you, so quit running!" The mouse didn't look convinced. "Is that your family over there?" Slowly, the mouse nodded. "You were just trying to feed them, right? But stealing food is wrong."

The mouse looked sadly at the pilfered crumb in his mouth.

"Will you let me help you?"

It nodded, deciding help was better than death. "Bring your family to the kitchen doors and follow me." Hearing this, the mouse uncertainly scurried off to his family. Aang checked one last time to make sure his two friends were busy, and then went over to wait by the door. He was met a few moments later by the mouse, another one the same size which must have been his wife, and their two kids.

Aang smiled. "Follow me, okay?" He gently pushed open the door and made sure the coast was clear. Then he gestured for them to go through, and he followed behind, door swinging closed. Then he led the family around the hallways, taking the least travelled routes to assure they wouldn't be spotted. After several minutes and a few close calls, the strange group had arrived in the courtyard. Stepping foot into the sunlight for the first time, the four mice were filled with wonder. There was grass and trees and flowers. Looking up, they saw their first sky.

"This is where you'll live from now on, okay? You'll be safe here." Aang smiled at their amazed, joyous expressions. "But you can't steal any more food, okay? Don't go inside the palace." The older two nodded while the younger pair went off, racing through a forest of grass. Aang held his paw out, and the mouse he'd rescued put his paw in Aang's. Then the couple went off into the gardens to build a new home.

Alone in the grass, Aang sighed. "Sokka and Toph are going to kill me." Stealthily, he snuck back into the palace and headed to the kitchen. No one was watching over the carnage, so Aang pushed his two front paws against the door and opened it a crack, then slipped through.

Katara smiled and practically jumped on him. "Aang, you're back!"

"Do Sokka and Toph know I left?"

"No. They've been…" her facial expression was one part humour, one part horror, and one part exasperation, "_Busy."_

"Ow!!" Shouts came from the pantry, belonging to Sokka and Toph. "Move your head!"

"Move your tail! It's tickling me!"

"Oh, I'll give you tickling…" The girl started swishing her tail back and forth over Sokka's nose."

"Hahaha! No, stop, that—A-CHOO!"

"Eeeeewwwwww…" She remarked in disgust at her snot-covered tail.

"I said stop."

Curious and disturbed, Aang inspected closer to find out just what was going on. As it turned out, the two numbskulls were chasing mice, and got themselves caught instead. Their tangled bodies were trapped in a wire labyrinth of one of the lower shelves. Seeing no carcasses around, Aang decided that it was safe to assume neither had caught any rodents.

"You guys can't get out?"

"If we could, we wouldn't still be here!"

Aang sighed and looked at Katara. "We'd better go get Iroh."

End Chapter Twelve

A/n: A toque is a chef's hat, in case you don't know. Haha, I had to look that up. xD I had some trauma with rearranging the chapter order. This was going to be chapter twenty, but I decided to switch and do this now. o On another note, I've been busy with my photoshop. –wink- Check my DA is you want a pretty Avatar wallpaper. (I'm still a novice with that program, but I'm showing improvement.)

I just wish they'd air the second half of Season III in the US. It's no fun watching online.


	13. A Stranger's Help

Cattails

Chapter Thirteen

A Stranger's Help

While Toph and Sokka licked their wounds (which were mostly wounds of pride), the four relaxed in the sunshine. It was a breezy day, and a few gusts were strong enough to bring leaves on it. There might have been a storm coming, because there usually wasn't more than a light breeze. Today, however, the bad weather would work to their advantage.

Katara was snuggled up in the grass, soaking up some sunrays like a solar panel. The others were all either asleep or half asleep. The girl watched as a small red beetle flew along and landed on her sleeping brother's head just as a gust started. Awoken and annoyed, Sokka rose and flicked his ears, sending the creature flying off. He yawned into the breeze, and –WHAM—got nailed in the face by a wall of paper. The thing held to his mouth with the power of suction. He started freaking out and shouting something, which of course was muffled by the paper so no one could understand him. The commotion had awakened Aang and Toph, who looked at him sleepily as the boy struggled.

Sighing, Katara bit the corner of the paper and calmly removed it. Sokka coughed and spat out the germs. His sister dropped it to the ground and pinned it with a paw. The younger two and Sokka, once he was done being dramatic, gathered around to see what it was.

"The Master of Magic," the girl read aloud for Toph, "invites you to watch this spectacular spectacle. The Great Lanlin and his assistant will be in Centre Square of our lovely capital this Friday and Saturday…"

"Boring," denounced Sokka.

"Oh, wait, wait!" The girl looked excited and jabbed a paw at the line. "Watch the Great Lanlin turn humans into doves."

"Do you think he could turn us back into humans, then?" Aang asked.

She smiled cleverly. "There's only one way to find out!"

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Well, it _looks_ like he's doing magic." Sokka examined and re-examined the man as he transformed a ball of fire into a bouquet and handed the flowers to a pretty female volunteer.

"Looks pretty real to me, too," agreed Katara.

"He's pretty good, even if his costume looks strange."

Toph flexed her toes. "He feels real…"

"Toph, you can make sure he's being honest when we go see him. Sokka, do you still have the note?"

"Yep." He smiled and pointed to the parchment's hanging place from his collar. "And you thought I would loose it."

His sister sighed. The day wasn't over yet…

From their place in the very back of the audience, sitting atop a stack of crates tucked off to the side, they watched him raise a life-size dragon from a painting of one. The Great Lanlin used magic to control the great beast as it soared thirty feet above the audience and all around the Square. It flew up and seemed to vanish into the sun, making it hard for anyone to see. It raced back down, diving through the air, and on its final flight over the crowd, disintegrated into confetti. The audience cheered wildly at the finale as they were bathed in the confetti shower. The magician and his assistant took a bow and headed offstage, into the temporary curtained-off backstage.

"Let's go." The four followed single-file as they leapt off the crates and wove their way through, heading around the audience and vendors. The backstage structure was a temporary little thing, made to last two nights. Cheap wood was hastily constructed into a frame, and maroon cloth served as the walls. The "door" was merely an empty part in the frame and a cut in the cloth walls. The four kittens had no problem sneaking past security and slipped right inside.

The inside was just as glamorous as without. There was no flooring, so they had to walk on rock and grass. Chairs were scattered around. Dressing rooms were just curtained off portions. A few staff members bustled here and there. The Great Lanlin himself sat tucked into a corner, relaxing with tea and a newspaper. Preoccupied with the latest headlines, he didn't notice the four until they were sitting at his feet.

The man looked up from his paper and glanced at the strange kittens. "How'd you get in here?"

It wasn't that hard, thought Sokka. Taking his cue, he hopped up on the man's lap. The folded paper bounced from his collar. Lanlin looked surprised at first, but then sat the newspaper on the floor and grabbed the paper to untie the string. The magician read the note quickly and silently, squinting every once in a while at the bad handwriting, with in this case was bad mouthwriting.

"Haha, from a fan?" He turned the note over and produced a pen and ink from his shirt (which was used during a magic trick). He scrawled out a response and tied it back on Sokka's collar, then shooed the kittens away. "Go on, go back to your owner."

When they got outside, the crowd had dissipated.

Quickly, Aang tugged the note off Sokka's collar and impatiently unfolded it, which is really difficult with paws instead of thumbs and fingers.

"Come back tomorrow before the show starts, and send the cats into my trailer. During the show, I will make them into humans," he read. "Signed, the Great Lanlin."

"Does that mean there will be an audience when we're transformed back?"

"They'll think it's just part of the act."

"Or, they'll tie us to a stake and burn us alive," replied Sokka drearily.

"Well, aren't you optimistic?"

"Hey, it's a possibility. This is the Fire Nation."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Zuko sighed and tapped his fingers. As usual, Mai wasn't being much fun. The dark girl lounged on the couch, with no contact between the two at all. He'd even settle for handholding. The problem was that there was nothing to do—no _excitement_.

Just then he remembered something his uncle had mentioned that morning.

"Hey, Mai. Would you like to go to the magic show with me tomorrow?"

She didn't look thrilled. "Sure…"

It was a start.

End Chapter Thirteen

A/n: Sorry for the delay. I HAD this typed last weekend, but the file was obliterated before I could post it. This chapter is a tad short, but the next one is a tad long, so it cancels out. Speaking of which, fourteen is already written. Hopefully I'll have that typed and posted tomorrow. Thanks for the patience.


	14. Magic and Mayhem

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Magic and Mayhem

"I don't like this," said Katara timidly. "There are too many people here."

It was Saturday, and the crowd in Centre Square seemed to have doubled since yesterday's show. Her brother seemed unaffected by the crowd. "And it's early, too. More will probably show up later."

"Oh, great, thanks for telling me that."

"Hey, it's okay. They'll think it's all just part of the act. Besides, it isn't like we know anyone here."

"I guess you're right, Aang." Despite that, her heart still bounced at the thought of being onstage in front of such a large audience.

"At least we'll be human soon."

XOXOXOXOXOX

The silence was killing him. They'd gotten all the way here, Mai never saying a word. They still had half an hour to wait, though, and he was _not_ going to be bore. Zuko smiled gently. "Would you like some fireflakes, Mai?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Something to drink?"

"I'm not thirsty."

Once again, the awkward silence prevailed. A little breeze blew, and a flock of birds chattered noisily as they made their way across the Fire Nation sky.

"Want to make out?"

She looked up from the ground into his eyes and grinned. Leaning beside a wall and a stack of crates, the two were tucked out of the way of the growing mob. Finally, they had a silence that _wasn't_ awkward.

XOXOXOXOXOX

The four cats sat before the man. Already donned in full costume and makeup, he stood and tapped his foot at the raggedy looking bunch. Iroh, of course, brushed them every day and gave them a bath every week, but they'd had to crawl through dirt and weeds to get there, so they weren't looking their best. A few tufts of grass loomed in between locks of fur, and their paws were caked with mud.

Lanlin shouted, "Makeup!"

"Yes?" A woman hurried over to him, and another followed behind her.

"Make these cats look decent."

"Yes, sir!" Each woman picked up two of them and softly carried them off. They were set on a tabletop beside a bowl of water and some brushes. Each girl grabbed a brush and dipped it in to the water, then brushed out any dirt stuck in the kittens' fur. One by one, their faces and paws were washed and then patted dry, a part which Toph struggled against until Katara whacked her in the face with her tail, telling her to chill out. Grudgingly, the girl endured.

The four were delivered back to Lanlin fresh, clean, and well groomed.

"Good, thank you," he said to the two women, dismissing them. To the kittens he said, "Stay here," and pointed demonstratively. The man looked around the trailer for something, and when he found it walked away.

"You didn't have to hit me," growled Toph quietly to Katara.

"I wouldn't have had to if you would cooperate."

"Hey, girls, relax. Once we're human again, you two can duke it out," said Sokka, who received a slight shove from Aang.

"No fighting—ever."

"It would be pretty one-sided, anyway," boasted the younger girl.

"Why you…" she was interrupted as someone approached. Quickly quieting up, the four were soon carried off by some stage crew.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Inside the small, dark room, a man with stubble and straggly hair tinkered with a small box, seeming to be poking it here and there with various tools. He wore greasy street clothes and a band of cloth over his mouth and nose like a filter mask. He jabbed the box a few more times before grumbling and setting his tools down on the table with a clatter. He stood and went over to a curtain-door and pushed the dark red cloth aside. Instantly, light poured into the room, and he squinted against the brightness.

He tugged the mask aside with two fingers and glared around at the people rushing about until he found who he was looking for. "Hey, Zhem," he called gruffly.

"Yeah," responded the other man who was dressed similar but with slightly fewer holes in his clothes.

"Who is this being used on, again?"

He crinkled his nose. "Cats. Four of 'em."

"Oh, man… How much gas do I use on cats?"

"No clue. They're only this big, though," he said, demonstrating a greatly exaggerated smallness with his hands. "Just a little should do it."

Satisfied with that answer, he dropped the curtain and withdrew back into his workshop to adjust the settings.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's getting hot in the Fire Nation!" roared the announcer, and the crowd cheered wildly. "Today, the Great Lanlin will perform death-defying stunts, trick mother nature, show you magic with more boom than fireworks," he paused and the audience cheered and clapped again, "And something for the ladies, a few cute kittens."

The audience looked a bit bewildered at that, but enthusiastic nonetheless. The magician himself peered around, trying to look for the fans who'd suggested this trick. Finding no one, he abandoned that and prepared for his grand entrance.

"The Great Lanlin!"

BOOM!! The stage shook as a giant cloud of smoke engulfed it. As it cleared, Lanlin had appeared on stage and the announcer vanished. The wizard took a few bows before revealing the prop for his first trick—a pair of pigeons that would become phoenixes.

Unable to see the show from their position, Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara were bored with waiting for their chance to go on. Katara idly bid goodbye to her furry cat body—her pointy, thin ears and long, fluffy grey tail. She might even miss having extendable claws (convenient for peeling fruit and taking care of obnoxious brothers.) As soon as they had some privacy after they were changed back, she'd go off Waterbending and might not come back for a few days. Even more than standing upright and wearing clothes, she missed Waterbending the most.

The others were thinking similar during the wait. They heard the crowd go wild with applause after one trick. Backstage, the crew finally had some down time. A few watched the show, sneaking around to the side. Four scruffy-looking men sat in a circle, playing cards.

When at last it was their turn to go on, Lanlin was just finishing up his dragon confetti routine. A few pieced drifted on a breeze and landed around the four just as an assistant came to fetch them. The woman called, "Here, kitty-kitties. Follow me." She led them slowly onstage, where the magician began announcing what he would be doing next.

"For your enjoyment, tonight, at the request of a loyal fan, I will transform these four house cats into human beings!"

The crowd awed and cheered, although no one, obviously, stepped forward to claim the glory of having been the contributor of the idea. As the kittens were paraded across stage, two eyes in the audience widened in disbelief.

"Aren't those Uncle's cats?"

Mai reasoned, "They could be any cats, Zuko. We can't see too well from here."

Although they were still near the back, the pair had squirmed their way into the crowd a bit so they could see. It wasn't all that far away, and Zuko could have sworn they were the same. The one, with cream-coloured arrows, and the gravy, fluffy one that liked to lay on his bed with him. That other grey cat must be the room-destroying wretch who'd scratched him, and the other was the blind cat.

That was too much for a coincidence, but he decided to let it go and mumbled, "I guess they can't be ours."

They watched intently along with the rest of the audience as the cats were marched into a large box covered with a sheet. The door was closed, and he began his magic.

It was spacious inside, certainly big enough to hold four people, if they were standing up. The ceiling was just about six feet high if you saw it from the outside. They'd caught a glimpse of it when they had light before the door was shut; inside, the ceiling was lower.

Toph couldn't care less about the box's measurements. Her ears were flicking, perked up to full height. She was trying to hear beneath them. The girl took a few steps around, listening intently on her footsteps while trying not to focus on Lanlin's mouth.

"Guys, the floor sounds funny. I think I hear something below us," she whispered.

They paid her no attention, full of excitement that they would be human soon.

She was about to let her suspicions go when she heard another sounds, this time from above. It was rather unnerving, and sounded like gas was escaping from something.

Toph never got the chance to expand on that. In a few moments, she could hardly move or think. The others shared this experience of being half-asleep. Conscious, but barely so, they half-witnessed the floorboard under them being removed, and them being carried off in someone's arms.

"I present to you," he announced grandly, pausing for effect here as his audience whispered to each other excitedly, "Humans!"

The door, at that moment, was opened, and out stepped four people. Indeed, they were human, but they were not an Airbender, two Water Tribesmen, and an Earthbender. Two girls and two boys, all scattered ages around twelve or thirteen, were dressed in Fire Nation clothes. They walked out onto stage, the audience watching the show going mad with cheering. The actors pretended to be amazed, turning their hands over and looking at them, feeling their faces, fiddling with their clothing, and walking upright.

"We're human, guys!" One boy led the group, then, in a group hug, and then bowed and thanked the Great Lanlin. He was grinning like a fox the whole time. The audience was going insane, and the four walked over to the edge of the stage and waved. 

"Okay," he announced, "We've got to change you back into cats, or your owner will be mad at me."

"Aw…."

Reluctantly, the four fakes went back into the magic box. As the magician preformed, the floorboard was removed from below and the actors climbed down. Crew put the four cats back, not noticing their eyes beginning to flutter and ears perk. In a moment, they were back inside the box, the effects of the knockout gas rapidly wearing off.

"How… Dare they drug us…" Toph said weakly.

At his announcement, the magician's assistant opened the door. When no kittens emerged, the audience was confused.

Lanlin made a show of peering inside. "It looks like they are asleep, tired out from the excitement." Two obedient crewmembers came and lifted the floorless box up, then carried it off stage, revealing the sleeping kittens.

"Shh…"

Awes and giggles were the only sounds the audience made, then, as to not wake them. However, they were already up, as a few people noticed and called out.

Toph was the first to move. She stood, wobbly from the knockout gas, and took a few weak steps, staggering towards the magician. There were a few questions of what was wrong with that cat, and Lanlin grew hot, sweating a bit.

"Oh," he tried desperately to salvage the act. "She just wants to thank me, that's all." He knelt down and extended a hand to her. "You must be tired; you can thank me after you take a nap."

Thanking him wasn't on Toph's to do list. Just as Lanlin was turning his head to talk to his audience, Toph chomped down on his hand, and then tasted blood.

"OUCH!!" The crowd of people saw a nice view of the magician snatch his hand away, teary-eyed, and hug it to his chest tightly. Toph stumbled a few more steps and bit his foot, the thin material of the shoe offering no protection. "OW!! You little—" he was hopping around stage on one foot, making the audience laugh.

The other three cats were awake enough to join her, now, and as they walked across stage the audience began screaming. "Killer cats!!" They frantically began evacuating, which ended up as mad shoving and shuffling in the tightly packed crowd. They scrambled for safety from Toph and the others.

"Wait!" Lanlin screamed, "It's just part of the act!" No one paid him attention, and the man, still hopping on one foot, turned to face his following. "Wait!" He stumbled backwards, off balance, and crashed into the flimsy stage. The people behind it ran for safety as the structure fell along with the wizard. He teetered on the edge, and then flailed his arms as he took a dive butt-first from the edge, landing atop his ruined stage with a thump.

As the audience rushed away, they nearly trampled him, and the newly exposed stage crew shrieked and ran.

Toph grinned at the surrounding chaos, turned to the remaining mob that hadn't managed to flee yet, and leapt from the stage, launching herself at them, teeth bared.

End Fourteen

A/n: Have we guessed whom the red beetle in the last chapter belongs to? Hope you liked this, because I started cracking up typing it. Toph is not amused. xD


	15. Brothers and Sisters

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Brothers and Sisters

The white bearded General Iroh looked up from his Sunday paper and noontime tea. Zuko entered the room, yawning, and flopped down on the couch. His black hair was hastily brushed and still displayed some of the hold of bed-head that a tight up do could not disguise. He was dressed, but had omitted the usual light armour that morning. Usually one to be up at dawn, instead it looked as if he'd just woken up. The young prince gazed around sleepily, but was fully awake when he saw the headlines.

"Uncle, can I see that paper?"

The man handed it over, curious to see what his nephew was excited about. The boy grabbed the front page and scanned it, then discarded the rest of the newspaper. Iroh tidied up the excluded pages while Zuko read the article.

"What is it?"

"About the magic show Mai and I went to yesterday. There was an incident there. The police were saying that the magician used some sort of has on them and it reacted badly, so they acted like they were mad." 

"They?"

Zuko grimaced. "Cats. Four cats. They looked exactly like yours, Uncle."

He gave a big belly laugh. "My cats? They must have siblings in the city, then." Behind that, he was growing more suspicious of the fur balls they'd adopted. They were unusually clever cats, and now they were into magic?

"These cats went berserk and started attacking the magician, and then the audience. Everyone started screaming and running. We were nearly trampled."

"How did you get out?"

"We took refuge behind a curry cart."

Iroh chuckled at the wild tale. "I'll have to read that article."

Zuko got the feeling that the older man thought he was exaggerating. The Prince gave a deep frown and decided to let it be, and then went off to obtain breakfast/lunch.

The room empty, he quietly muttered his thoughts aloud. "They couldn't have gotten there by themselves. How could they have even snuck out?" He stroked his beard, trying to remember if there were any trees overhanging the palace walls. "They couldn't have."

XOXOXOXOXOX

After getting some breakfast, the moody young prince stomped up to his room and flopped onto the bed. No one was going to believe him—even Mai hardly did, and she was there. He rested his head against the soft pillow, spreading out on his back. The sheets felt nice and cool to the touch, and he laid the backs of his hands against the fabric.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

Just then, out of the darkness pounced Katara, who arrived on his stomach with a thump.

"Umph!" Her blue eyes looked innocently at him as she made herself comfortable. "Great, cat. Jump on my stomach after I just ate." She moved up to lie on his chest and purr.

He eyed her curiously. "So, are you a magic cat?" He swore she looked surprised. "Either that, or you have a sister who is."

Katara wondered nervously if he knew where they went yesterday. Could he have been watching the show? For once, she was grateful she was a cat—it meant she didn't have to answer any questions. She decided to play the cute card—look at him, cock her head, blink. "Mreow?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't play dumb with me," he joked. "I don't care if you're a cat—this is an interrogation!" She flopped onto her side and rubbed her head against him. "Heh… Okay, you pass."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sokka leaned out into the hall, looking both ways for travellers. "Katara?" There was no Katara in the halls, and one did not answer him. He'd spent the last five minutes looking around theirs and Iroh's bedroom for her. He was starting to wonder if Lanlin _was_ a real magician, and it took overnight to work, but instead of changing her into a human, he made her disappear! Aang said he was being paranoid and she'd just gone for a walk, but Sokka didn't think so. He had to find his sister.

He trotted down the hallway and peeked into each room. "This would be easier," he muttered, "If I were telepathic. Aren't siblings supposed to have a spiritual link?" Unfortunately, his powers of telepathy must not have fully matured yet, because he had no idea where she was.

Most of the rooms now were either closed or empty. As he turned the corner and faced a new line of them, Sokka realized he was getting closer to Zuko's bedroom. He hoped the boy wouldn't spot him. He continued his search, going a bit faster so he could get out of this dangerous place as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he was spotted, but not by Zuko.

He nearly had a heart attack when a pair of hands grabbed him around his stomach and picked him up. His captor's face was out of sight as Sokka was carried off into a bedroom, the door clicking shut behind them. The first person he saw was a rather dark girl slouching in a chair in the centre of the room.

The person holding him spoke, a distinctly feminine voice with a tone of coolness to it.

"This cat is the one?"

The dark girl nodded slightly. "It's one of them."

His captor plopped her down on the floor between the two. "Mai, this little kitty stays in the palace all day. The only outside they've seen since they got here was the courtyard." 

He saw the other girl and recognized her as Zuko's sister, the one who threw _his sister _into a pond. The boy had a mind to scratch her bloody, but remembered that she had no qualms with animal cruelty.

"It was probably some other cats who just looked like yours."

"Hmm… Why don't we ask him." Azula knelt down and came face to face with Sokka, scaring him half-to-death. Slowly, she asked him, "Did you go to the magic show yesterday? Was it you and your friends on stage?" Her breath smelled like peppermint. He glanced left and right for an escape route. When Azula turned to speak to Mai, Sokka took this opportunity to bolt. The door closed tight, he ran instead to the bed and scrambled underneath to safety.

"Hey!" The girls took notice of his breakout. "Come back here!"

There was hollering and commotion as the two girls chased him down and tried to corner him. Azula reached underneath the bed and fell short of grabbing him by a few inches. Mai got on the other side and tried the same; one of them would reach. However, Sokka didn't stick around to find out. Both the girls on the floor, he sprinted out from beneath the bed and tunnelled behind the bookshelf—they'd have to move thirty-something volumes to get to him.

Clomp-clomp-clomp from the hallway and a gentle pounding on the door. "Princess, is everything okay?" The door opened a crack, and Sokka saw his opportunity.

"No! Don't open the door!" Yelled Azula, but it was too late. The cat was gone, racing down the hall. The well-meaning attendant received a glare from the young Firebender, and the lady quickly apologized and fled.

The princess stewed in quiet rage. That grey cat had disobeyed her. How, their game spoiled, they had nothing to do.

Mai sighed. "Even if he isn't magic, he's quite the devil."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Hearing a loud thud and a few shouts from down the hall, Zuko raised his head. He told the kitten laying on him, "Sounds like it's coming from Azula's room…"

Katara perked her ears, instigating another petting from Zuko's big, soft hands. "Well, if she's in a foul mood, I don't want to find out. You probably shouldn't go in the hallway for a while, either."

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Sokka's been gone for a long time."

"He probably couldn't find Katara," said Toph. "Like we told him, she had gone for a walk." 

"I hope he's okay." Aang didn't receive a response to this and flopped back down onto the floor. "So, Toph, want to play a game?"

"Like what?"

"Um…" Cards? She was blind and wouldn't be able to see the face. Hide and seek? She didn't need to see to murder him at that. Tag? "How about tag?"

"That's fun with two people."

"Oh."

He glanced over at her and saw some lint stuck in her fur. He walked over and tried to brush it off.

"What are you doing?" she said irritably.

"You have something in your fur." Impatiently she waited for him to be done. What annoyed her most was that her heart was beating faster than his.

Hearing the scamper of little footsteps in the hall, Toph announced, "Sokka's back," before he even slipped through the door.

"Oh, good," Aang said once the boy was inside. "Now we can play tag!"

Sokka huffed and puffed, regaining his breath. "I already did."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara returned an hour or so later when Zuko had some princely duties to attend to. She was met at the door by her hotheaded brother, who demanded where she had been all day.

"Uh, just out for a walk. I was watching Iroh feed the turtleducks, too." 

Sokka nearly died. "The courtyard! Ugh, the one place I didn't check."

"You were looking for me?"

"Yeah. And then Azula got me in her clutches! I barely escaped alive."

"He's exaggerating," commented Toph.

"That explained all the commotion she'd heard. "So, what did you and Azula do?" she teased.

"I ran, she chased me, I ran faster. _Real_ romantic, Katara."

"Haha, you wish it was romantic. It's like, your goal in life to seduce a woman from every nation."

"Is not!"

"If Aang were a girl, you'd be all over him."

Toph chuckled quietly. "It must run in the family."

End Fifteen


	16. A New Friend?

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Zuko stared at the furry creature in front of him dumbly. "What is this?"

"Dog. _Canis familiaris_," Mai enlightened.

Iroh answered his nephew, "a noble who is a good friend of the royal family's brought it here for you, Zuko. It's a gift."

The mutt was a healthy specimen, a bit less than a year old and a pug. With its short, curled tail and stubby face, he thought it more resembled a pig than a dog.

"Aw, it's so cute, Zuko. Now you can be a mommy," teased Mai.

"Does that make you the daddy?" he teased back.

Iroh glanced over to a quiet pitter-patter in the halls. It seemed his own pets had come to see the new puppy. Four furry kitten faces peered at the strange creature.

"What will you name him?"

He thought for a moment. "Azul."

"Why? Naming it after your sister?"

"No, just continuing the trend. We have Azulon, Azula, and now Azul."

"They just get handsomer as they go." Mai knelt down to give Azul a good scratch behind the ears. The dog wagged his tail accordingly. When the girl turned her head to look at Zuko, Azul took the opportunity to lick her hand.

"Eww…" She frowned as slimy saliva dripped from her fingers.

"Aw, he likes you." She frowned at him. "Why don't you go wash up?"

Before she did, Mai pulled him into a kiss, the dog-licked hand on the back of his head. "Thanks, I will."

Zuko touched his slobber-soaked hair. Iroh laughed. "Love is contagious."

"It's also cold and wet."

Azul wagged his tail and panted. The young prince went off to go wash his hair, and his Uncle left to make some tea for them. That left the kittens and the dog alone.

"What kind of monster do you suppose it is?"

"Sokka, it's a dog, not a monster."

"I think it's… _Drooling._"

The hound in question looked over at them, eyeing the four cats curiously.

"It's spotted us!"

"Should we run?"

"Oh, quit being babies," said Toph. "Let's go meet him."

"Toph, dogs and cats don't usually get along…"

"If he doesn't like us, I'll beat him until he does."

Unable to argue with that solution, the four cautiously approached.

"Hey, Azul."

The mutt let go a deep, primal growl that made their fur stand on end. Closer to him, now, they could see that the puppy loomed over them, nearly twice their size. He growled again, bearing his teeth.

"Uh, okay. Maybe I can't beat him into submission."

"Let's just back away slowly…"

Seeing their retreat, Azul knew he won, and growled again, standing up to follow his prey.

"Run!!"

The four turned and scampered off like sprinters from the starting gate. The dog, barking viciously, ran after them. "Follow me," shouted Sokka. He lead them racing towards an end table, head-on. At the last minute, they parted and just missed collision. The dog, hot on their heels, slammed into it and went sprawling. The four made their escape as Zuko burst into the room.

"Azul!" By now, the cats were long gone, Zuko none the wiser to their ordeal. "What are you barking at, and why are you wrestling that table?" The dog slobbered and returned to his master, whimpering.

Meanwhile, the four cats never let up their pace, and were back in their room in a minute. Completely exhausted, they crashed on the floor.

"Guys," panted Aang, "I don't think I'm a dog person anymore."

"Me neither," agreed the others simultaneously.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara peeked into the room. That beast was still lurking there, in _her_ spot, getting _her_ petting. Every so often Zuko would say something to it. "Maybe I could train you to be a watchdog, or a fighting dog." He might as well save his breath; that dog was too stupid to understand English. Sulkily, she wandered back to her own room.

"Hi, Katara!" bounced Aang.

"Hi."

He stopped bouncing when he heard how sad she was. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What's wrong?" She hesitated. "You can tell me anything, Katara."

Sokka and Toph weren't in sight; probably they were out chasing mice in the courtyard or something. Should she tell him? If she didn't he'd just get worried…

"Just don't tell Sokka, okay?"

"Okay."

She took a deep breath. "Zuko is paying more attention to that dog than to me."

She'd appreciate him not to look so surprised. "Zuko?"

"We hang out, and he pets me. But that dog…"

"Hang out where?"

"In his bedroom."

Aang felt something inside him become very, very nauseous. Zuko and Katara, along in his bedroom… Granted, there definitely wasn't much going on with her as a cat.

Calm down.

"Is that where you are when you say you went for a walk?"

"Yeah, usually."

He laughed. "So that's why Sokka couldn't find you. Well, if this dog is giving us nothing but trouble, then we'll just have to do something about it."

She smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Aang frowned. Katara must have gotten awful friendly with Zuko. They crept down the hall, just the two of them. He followed behind her as she led them to Zuko's room. According to her, this was the time of day he usually left to go do prince stuff. Just as luck would have it, he _was_ out, and the dog lay sleeping in a curl on his bed.

They stealthily entered and softly leapt onto the pillows of the bed, as to not disturb the animal.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Hey, Azul!" Aang pounced near him, landing as hard as possible to bounce the mutt awake. He started to growl, but that turned to a whimper when he saw the pair standing ominously before him, teeth bared and claws extended.

"_I_ am the Avatar, and you _will_ respect my friends and me."

Stubbornly, he shook his head in refusal.

"Oh, you will. You will."

From down the hall, you could hear the mutt sing surrender when two pairs of slwaws simultaneously sunk into his flesh. Whining and yelping, he scampered for safety, falling ungracefully from the bed and colliding with the wall on his way out.

The monster vanquished, Katara smiled at her Prince. "Thanks, Aang." She leaned in to kiss his furry forehead, and Aang was thankful that cats can't blush.

End Sixteen

A/n: Whoo! Just watched Boiling Rock on the internet. That was freaking awesome! Um… I don't want to say any more than that. Might be people reading this that don't want spoilers. Anyway, the past week has been rough. I've had testing four of the five days for my AP Chemistry class. Ugh. And then finals are next week… Thankfully, starting Friday, it's Summer Vacation. Speaking of which, I haven't studied at all. Hahaha… Think passing thoughts for me.

Short, sweet, fairly funny, and (even though I'm a Zutarian) Kataang and Maiko.

End a/n.


	17. A Sokka Thing

A Sokka Thing

A Sokka Thing

The young cat swung back and forth in the air, teetering on the boundary between life and death. His captor cruel and apathetic, he had no chance of appealing to mercy. As the weapon fired up, Sokka knew he'd met his end. Only the Spirits could save him now.

XOXOXOXOXOX

One Hour Earlier

Sokka paced in circles, glancing every so often to the door. His sister was gone again, and with that new dog around, he was worried about her.

Aang sighed in annoyance. "Sokka, I told you that you don't have to worry about the dog anymore."

"A beast that stupid wouldn't remember to keep to his word." He paused his pacing momentarily to scratch behind his ear with his leg. "I just want to know where my sister is."

Probably with Zuko again, thought Aang. His knowledge must have shown on his face. The Water Tribe boy came over and poked a paw at him. "You know where she is, don't you?!" Aang tried to get away with shrugging his shoulders, but Sokka just narrowed his eyes and tapped his foot. "Where is she?"

"_Tap-dancing."_

"What?" It was hardly the answer he expected. "Don't you lie to me, Avatar. Katara can't tap-dance." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Unless… Someone taught her how. But who knows how to tap-dance?" He glanced over at Toph, who was ignoring Sokka's interrogation of Aang. "IT WAS YOU!!"

The girl flinched, her fur standing on end. "What the… Why are you SCREAMING all of a sudden?"

"You'd know how to tap-dance, wouldn't you? Everyone knows you're good with your feet, Toph Bei Fong."

"Oh, yeah, Sokka. I know how to tap-dance, and I taught Katara. We were planning on becoming a tap-dancing duet after the war."

"I knew it! That's where she's been all this time." He jabbed a finger at Toph. "Shame on you, trying to leave me out of your show business plans. You know I'd make a great manager."

Toph tried to interrupt him but he shushed her and went on. "Katara's practicing tap-dancing then. Where would she go to do that? It'd have to be somewhere private…" There was a moment of silence while he thought. "The courtyard! She could hide behind the bushes and practice on the grass. Perfect!" He bounded over to the door. "Stay here, you two. I'll go find my sister." He left at this, hopping down the hall.

"Aang?"

"What?"

"I don't think Sokka knows what 'sarcasm' means."

"You know what else he doesn't know?"

"What?"

"That you can't tap-dance on grass."

"And that cats can't wear shoes?"

"Yeah. Now I know what Katara goes through."

They laughed.

Toph thought for a moment. "Where _is_ Katara, anyway?"

XOXOXOXOXOX

The Waterbender, at this time, was curled up on Zuko's stomach, while the dog lay in a far corner hiding from her. Perfect…

XOXOXOXOXOX

The young man tromped along, practicing his speech on how best to chew out his sister for not including his in their plans. His padded paws hardly made a sound as he walked on the tile. Having learned his lesson from the first time, he took care to avoid Azula's hallway, and went the other way to the courtyard.

When he stepped outside, the bright sun greeted him. His pupils contracted, and he squinted against the light. Half blind, he wandered around looking for his tap-dancing sister while waiting for his eyes to adjust. He went around checking behind bushes and trees and other secluded areas. Behind him, the grass crunched softly.

"Got you!!"

Sokka would've jumped out of his skin had the girl not been holding him down. His first response was to yell, or at least scream, but he held his tongue at the last minute.

Mai and Ty Lee came over to congratulate Azula on her fine catch. While the kitty squirmed, Azula said, "Ty Lee, if you will." A few gentle (or not so gentle) hits to some pressure pointes, and Sokka stopped squirming. While the other two weren't looking, the pink girl wiped her hands off on her clothes. The last thing she wanted was to reveal her secret.

"Now, now," crooned the Princess, "Just what shall we do with you?"

"Let's cut off a foot or two. Maybe then he wouldn't run so fast."

"No. Then he'd be a cripple, Mai, and I'd have to help take care of him." She looked down at the furry captive in her arms. Sokka would've trembled had he not been temporarily paralysed. The Princess reached a hand out to him, and to his surprise started scratching him behind the ear and under the chin. Her manicured nails were perfect for the job, and Sokka started purring before he knew it.

Mai and Ty Lee shared a look. "Azula, don't you hate cats? You threw that one into a pond, right?"

"Oh, I like cats. That one was just in my way."

"Really? You do like cats?" Ty Lee asked in amazement.

"Not as much as Uncle, but I do. They're clever, elegant, graceful, and independent."

"And flexible," added the contortionist.

Azula glanced over at her. "Ty Lee, you seem to like cats."

"Uh… Mhm, they're really cute."

"Do you want to pet him?"

"No, thanks. He seems to really like you."

"He'll like you, too. Just pet him in the right spots."

"It's okay, Azula."

Ty Lee was reluctant, _too _reluctant. Azula grinned. She must be…

There's the thesis; now to prove it.

Azula started walking over to her, holding the kitten in front of her.

"Hey… What are you doing?"

"You _really_ don't want to pet the kitty?"

"No thanks." Azula was too close now; Ty Lee started backing away, right into a tree. She was trapped.

"Azula, it's okay, really. You and Mai should pet him." Azula didn't stop her advancement. She held the cat out, and he swung perilously. Oh, no, thought Ty Lee. My nose is tickling! She tried to hold it in, but a sneeze is inevitable.

"Ah… Ah… Choo!"

Sokka cringed as he was sneezed on. He could only hope Azula would give _him_ a dunk in the pond to wash off.

"Ty Lee…" The pink girl braced for her sentence. "You're allergic to cats, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

Mai chuckled. "I guess your circus didn't have any lions or tigers."

She blushed. "No, it didn't."

"That'd make a good show. Instead of the lion biting your head off, you sneeze it off. Makes the lion's job a lot easier."

Azula walked over to Mai and handed her the cat. Pressed against her clothes, the dark and gloomy girl feared the worst. When she lifted him up, she saw the damage: gray hair on black clothing. "Just wonderful." Sokka took the opportunity to rub his face against her shirt, wiping off any sneeze germs.

"Aw, he's so affectionate."

Azula grinned. "That's great, Mai. You've finally found someone."

She sighed. What would Zuko do if he heard her say that? Knowing him and his raging jealousy, he'd probably beat the cat up. "Can you take this thing now. He's… _Shedding._"

"Okay, give him here."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Katara had rejoined Aang and Toph on hour ago when Sokka finally came stumbling in. His fur was all fluffed up, and he smelled faintly of perfume.

"Sokka, where have you been?" asked his sister. "We were getting worried."

"I wasn't worried," Toph slipped in.

"Azula and her friends had me in their clutches."

"Well, you're not wet, so I guess she didn't try to drown you."

"No, but I got sneezed on and clinged on and Ty Lee'd on."

"The contortion girl?"

"Yeah, she hit my pressure points and I couldn't move."

"So," his sister interrupted, "You were with girls all day?"

"Well, yeah, but…" 

"And after all those sweet things you said to Suki." Aang shook his head. "Tsk tsk."

Sokka was red hot and decided to change the subject. "Katara! Why didn't you consult me to be your manager?"

"Huh?"

"Your and Toph's tap-dancing routine."

"I repeat: Huh?"

Toph and Aang burst out laughing. It took him a minute to figure it out, but eventually added two and two. "Hey! You guys lied to me!"

The Earthbender girl gave him a pat on the back. "Wow, you figured it out! You're so clever, Sokka."

"Uh, can someone fill me in?"

"Don't worry about it, Katara." Aang smiled at her. "It's just a Sokka thing."

End Seventeen

A/n: Okay, you guys all get that the little introduction at the beginning of this chapter was referring to Azula holding Sokka and walking Ty Lee into a corner to make her sneeze, right? It's kind of like the opening to The Runaway. Thanks MartaBPC. End a/n.


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